The latter half of 2023 saw many homes in and outside of the GTA selling significantly below their asking prices, with all types of properties sitting idle on the market for long periods as prospective buyers battled out high interest rates.

In some regions, the sluggish real estate market also marked the end of contentious bidding wars, with sellers often being forced to accept the only offer on the table. 

Take this detached home in rural Innisfil for example, which was listed on the market for $949,000, but sold drastically below its asking price for $550,000. 

The two-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow, located at 2696 9th Line W, has seen its price dwindle dramatically over the past few years. In May 2022, the same home was listed for $1.29 million — roughly $340,000 more than its asking price in 2023. 

This can't be real. pic.twitter.com/lT3XhCeYIk

— Hussein E (@therealhebrahim) December 11, 2023

The listing advertised 15 acres of property, with lots of mature trees, wildlife, trails, and even a creek sprawled across the site. Despite all its perks, the home sat on the market for 54 days before finally being sold on Nov. 27, 2023. 

The real joke is that we now see $550k as a ridiculous steal. Only a few years ago that semi-rural house would have sold for $250k

— Jules®️🍁 (@Quinn11Jules) December 12, 2023

According to an October 2023 report from real estate agency, Zoocasa, Canadian homebuyers took a step back from the real estate market last year, as interest rates and the cost of borrowing made buying a home an impossible task for many. 

In Innisfil, the agency found that while the average listing price in September 2023 was $1,344,771, the average home sale price was only $915,774 — representing a 31.9 per cent difference. 

Meanwhile, an hour's drive across the border.... pic.twitter.com/VZuGRyAwfp

— Reuven Gorsht (@reuvengorsht) December 12, 2023

In comparison, the same report found that Toronto's average sale price was $1,119,452, despite the average listing price being $1,378,752  — representing an 18.81 per cent difference. 

The largest gap was found in Halton Hills, with a 42.94 per cent difference between the area's average listing price ($1,899,398) and average sale price ($1,083,709).

Only caveat, this house isn't worth half the revised price...

— Latex Montreal (@Spascrutineer) December 12, 2023

At the end of 2023, nearly all neighbourhoods in the GTA (93 per cent) were found to be in the "underbidding territory," with prospective buyers sometimes submitting offers up to six figures lower than the asking price, according to another real estate agency, Wahi.