Published 2 November 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty
Hold offers only when your home is likely to attract several buyers in the same week. In October 2026, Toronto semis sold at about 102% of list on average, while GTA detached homes and condo apartments sold at about 97%. For most condos and detached homes in York and Halton, offers anytime with a realistic price fits better.
This guide is for GTA sellers deciding how to launch a listing in 2027: hold offers until a set date, or take offers as they come. You will see which home types and regions still draw competition, what Ontario’s competing-offer rules require, and what to do if offer night does not go to plan.
What is an offer date, and what is the alternative?
With an offer date, also called holding offers, you list the home and tell buyers you will review all offers at a set time, often about a week later. Buyers get time to see the home, arrange financing and sometimes do an inspection before they write. The goal is to bring several buyers to the table at once.
With no offer date, often called offers anytime, you accept and respond to offers whenever they arrive. The list price is usually set closer to what you expect to get, and buyers can act the day they see the home.
Neither choice is right for every home. The decision depends on how many buyers are likely to want your home in the same week. I compared both approaches for Toronto in an earlier post on holding offers or accepting offers anytime. Here I focus on the wider GTA and the newest numbers.
Which GTA homes still get multiple offers going into 2027?
The average sale price compared with the average list price is a rough guide. When it sits at or above 100%, many homes of that type are drawing competition. When it sits at 96% to 97%, most sales are negotiated below asking.
| Area, October 2026 | Detached | Semi-detached | Freehold townhouse | Condo townhouse | Condo apartment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Toronto | 97% | 102% | 100% | 97% | 97% |
| Toronto East | 100% | 105% | 104% | 98% | 97% |
| Peel Region | 97% | 98% | 99% | 97% | 96% |
| York Region | 96% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 96% |
| Halton Region | 96% | 98% | 97% | 97% | 97% |
| Durham Region | 98% | 100% | 99% | 98% | 97% |
Source: TRREB Market Watch, October 2026. Ratio of average selling price to average list price for firm sales that month. Freehold townhouse = TRREB’s Att/Row/Townhouse category.
The pattern is clear. Toronto semis and freehold towns, especially in Toronto East, are still the homes most likely to sell over asking, so an offer date can work for them. Detached homes in York and Halton, and condo apartments almost everywhere, sold below asking on average. For most of those listings, holding offers is a gamble. Remember these are averages: a well-priced home on a great street can beat its area, and an overpriced one will trail it.
When does holding offers make sense in 2027?
An offer date works when most of these are true:
- Your home type and area are scarce, such as a semi or freehold town in central or east Toronto.
- Recent sales of similar homes nearby went over asking.
- Your home shows well, with no big repair surprises for buyers’ inspectors.
- You can launch with strong photos, a floor plan and open showing hours for a full week or more.
- You have a firm price you would accept if only one offer arrives, and you are willing to sign it back.
The list price still matters. Pricing far below value to start a bidding war can backfire if buyers do not show up in numbers. Set a price you could live with, based on real comparable sales.
When is it better to sell with no offer date?
Offers anytime usually fits better when buyers have choice. That describes much of the GTA right now. In October 2026 there were 4.6 months of inventory across the TRREB area, and TRREB said uncertainty about inflation and borrowing costs kept many buyers on the sidelines. The Bank of Canada raised its policy rate to 2.50% on 28 October 2026, which made some buyers more careful.
- Condo apartments, where many similar units in the same building or area are listed at once.
- Detached homes in slower regions, such as York and Halton, which sold at 96% of list on average in October 2026.
- Unique or high-end homes, where the pool of buyers is small and each one needs time.
- Homes that have already been listed, because buyers will compare the new price with the old one.
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What are Ontario’s rules on competing offers?
The rules are set under Ontario’s Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002, and explained by RECO, the regulator. They apply whether or not you use an offer date.
- The number of offers must be shared. Your agent must tell every buyer who has made a written offer how many competing offers there are.
- The content is your choice. Your agent cannot share any details of offers, such as price or closing date, unless you give written direction. You can choose to share some parts and not others, and you can change your mind at any time.
- No personal details. Information that identifies a buyer can never be shared, even if you ask.
- Only written offers count. RECO says a verbal offer, or an offer that has not yet been submitted, is not a competing offer.
RECO also lists your choices once offers are in: accept the best one, negotiate with one buyer and reject the rest, negotiate with one buyer while telling the others their offers are set aside, or reject them all. For more on open offers and what buyers can be told, see my post on open offers and disclosure.
How should you handle a bully offer before your offer date?
A bully offer, or pre-emptive offer, is one a buyer sends before your offer date, usually with a short deadline, hoping to buy the home before others can compete. Decide your policy before you list, and tell buyer agents what it is.
- Consider pre-emptive offers: you may get a strong price quickly, but other interested buyers may feel shut out.
- Refuse pre-emptive offers: you keep the process fair for everyone, but a buyer may walk away and buy elsewhere.
If I review one for a seller, I let other buyers who have shown interest know, so they have a fair chance to act. Read more in my guide on bully offers and competing offers.
How do you set an offer date that works?
If you decide to hold offers, the details of the schedule matter as much as the decision itself. This is how I set one up:
- Give buyers at least one full weekend. Most working buyers can only view on Saturday or Sunday, so the offer date should come after a weekend of open showings.
- Make homework easy. Let buyers book their own inspector before the offer date, and have a pre-listing inspection or condo status certificate ready to share. Buyers write firmer offers when they have the facts.
- Spell out the rules in the listing. State the offer date and time, how offers should be submitted, and your policy on pre-emptive offers.
- Keep in touch with interested agents. Ask buyer agents to let your agent know if their client plans to submit, so you have a sense of demand before the night.
If those interested agents go quiet in the days before the offer date, that is your early warning to prepare the backup plan.
What happens if no offers come in on offer night?
It happens more often in a slower market, and it is fixable if you plan for it.
- If one offer arrives, you can sign it back. Keep the counter reasonable: RECO notes that a seller who tries to negotiate may find the buyer has already made their best offer, and meanwhile other buyers move on.
- If no offers arrive, switch to offers anytime and adjust the price to where real comparables say it should be. Do it within days, not weeks.
- If feedback points to a problem, fix it or get a quote before relaunching.
Expect buyers to notice. TRREB’s October 2026 figures show the gap: homes that sold averaged 31 days on market, but 49 days when earlier listing time with the same brokerage is counted. Buyers and their agents can see price history, so a failed offer date followed by a big price jump is hard to explain.
Do not underprice by a large amount to “create a bidding war” unless you are truly ready to sell at that price. If only one buyer shows up, they know the list price was set low, and you lose your leverage. Also avoid escalation clauses in a sale you cannot control: read my note on escalation clauses in Ontario before you accept one.
Going into 2027, I would hold offers only for homes that are scarce in their area, mostly Toronto semis and freehold towns, and well-presented detached homes in strong pockets. For most condos, and for detached homes in York and Halton, I would price close to the best comparable sales and take offers anytime. In my view, a fair price that buyers can act on today beats a clever strategy that relies on a crowd showing up.
What to do next
- Pull the last three to six months of sales for your home type and street, and note how many sold over asking.
- Get a value range from the estimator on this page and compare it with those sales.
- Decide, in writing with your agent, your offer strategy, your pre-emptive offer policy and whether any offer content will be shared.
- Agree on a backup plan if offer night brings one or no offers.
- Prepare documents early, such as a pre-listing inspection or a condo status certificate, so buyers can write strong offers.
Need help with this? Talk to me.
I’m Jatin Dua, Broker of Record at RE/MAX Quantum Realty, and I’m the best agent to do this kind of work for you in Toronto and across the GTA. Over $100 million in GTA sales and 100+ families helped sell. Feel free to contact me any time: call or text 833-330-1925 or email [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Should I hold offers when selling my house in 2027?
Only if your home is likely to draw several buyers in the same week. In October 2026, semi-detached homes in the City of Toronto sold at about 102% of list on average, so an offer date can work there. Detached homes in York and Halton and condo apartments across the GTA sold at 96% to 97%, so offers anytime usually fits them better.
What does holding offers mean in Ontario?
Holding offers means the seller lists the home and reviews all offers at a set date and time, often about a week after listing, instead of responding as each offer arrives. It gives buyers time to view the home and arrange financing. It works best for homes in short supply in Ontario. If few buyers show up, the seller can switch to offers anytime.
Do sellers have to tell buyers how many offers there are in Ontario?
Yes. Under Ontario’s Trust in Real Estate Services Act, explained by RECO, the seller’s agent must tell every buyer who has submitted a written offer how many competing offers there are. The seller decides whether any other details are shared, and must give that direction in writing. Information that identifies a buyer can never be shared.
Can a seller share the price of other offers in Ontario?
Yes, but only if the seller gives the agent written direction. RECO explains that sellers in Ontario choose what offer content, if any, is shared, and can share select parts, such as closing dates, without sharing price. The seller can change that direction at any time. Personal or identifying information about buyers can never be shared.
What is a bully offer in real estate?
A bully offer, or pre-emptive offer, is an offer sent before the seller’s set offer date, usually with a short deadline, to try to buy the home before other buyers can compete. Sellers in Ontario can choose to review or refuse them. Decide your policy before listing, and consider telling other interested buyers if you review one.
What happens if no one makes an offer on offer night?
The seller usually relaunches with offers anytime and, if needed, adjusts the price to match recent comparable sales. Acting within days matters. In October 2026, GTA homes that sold averaged 31 days on market, but 49 days when earlier listing time with the same brokerage was counted, which shows how often sellers relist before selling.
Is it better to list low and hold offers in the GTA?
Only for homes with strong demand, and only if you would accept the list price. Listing far below value can attract several buyers, but if only one shows up, they know the price was set low. In the GTA market going into 2027, with 4.6 months of inventory in October 2026, many listings did better priced close to comparable sales.
Are bidding wars still happening in Toronto in 2026?
Yes, for some home types. In October 2026, semi-detached homes in Toronto East sold at about 105% of list price on average and freehold townhouses there at about 104%, according to TRREB. Across the whole TRREB area, detached homes and condo apartments sold at about 97% of list, so bidding wars were the exception, not the rule.
Does a verbal offer count as a competing offer in Ontario?
No. RECO’s guidance under the Trust in Real Estate Services Act says only written offers received by the seller’s brokerage count as competing offers. A verbal offer, or an offer a buyer says is coming but has not submitted, does not count. That matters because the number of competing offers must be shared with every buyer who has made a written offer.
Sources
- TRREB Market Watch, October 2026
- TRREB news release: Inflation and borrowing costs impacted October GTA real estate market (4 November 2026)
- Bank of Canada press release, 28 October 2026
- RECO: Dealing with competing offers
- RECO Bulletin 4.1: Number and content of competing offers
- RECO: About open offers
- RECO: Competing offers (information for buyers)
Related reading
- Seller Closing Costs in Ontario for 2027: Every Fee Before You Get Paid
- How to Sell a House in Toronto, Step by Step (2027)
- Closing Costs on a New Build in Ontario: What Builders Add
- How Much Is My House Worth in Caledon? (2027)
About the author — Jatin Dua, Toronto and GTA real estate broker
I am Jatin Dua, Broker of Record and co-founder of RE/MAX Quantum Realty Inc., Brokerage, Unit 101, 799 The Queensway, Toronto. I work with buyers and sellers across Toronto and the GTA and have helped more than 100 families sell. Four-plus years of active GTA transactions and over $100 million in sales volume.
Reach me at [email protected] or 833-330-1925, or book a call.