The Greater Toronto Area’s housing market faced a sudden cooling period this March, with overall homebuying competition reaching its weakest level in four years. However, a new report from Wahi highlights that the Durham Region is bucking the trend. While 92 per cent of GTA neighborhoods have shifted into “underbidding” territory, Durham maintains the strongest competitive edge in the province, with nearly one-third of all homes still selling for more than the asking price.
Durham Outperforms the GTA Average
The contrast between Durham and the rest of the GTA is stark. Across the region, only 23 per cent of all sold listings went for above-asking in March 2026—a sharp decline from 31 per cent during the same period in 2025. In comparison:
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Durham Region: 31 per cent of all sold listings were overbid, the highest in the GTA.
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Halton Region: Only 15 per cent of listings were overbid, the lowest in the GTA.
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Neighborhood Scale: Only 6 per cent of all GTA neighborhoods are currently in “overbidding” territory, down from 7 per cent in February.
Wahi Economist Ryan McLaughlin notes that “regions with lower home prices are attracting more bidding competition than more expensive parts of the GTA.” This explains why Oshawa, Whitby, and Ajax continue to see aggressive buyer behavior while affluent Toronto pockets like Rosedale and Forest Hill have moved into the top five most underbid neighborhoods.
Factors Behind the March Slowdown
Economic experts point to a “recipe for subdued housing activity” that affected most of Southern Ontario this spring. Factors including emerging geopolitical conflicts and unseasonably cold weather have “spooked” many buyers. Despite these hurdles, the single-family home market continues to outperform the condo sector by a wide margin. Locally, 14 per cent of single-family home neighborhoods saw overbidding, compared to a negligible 1 per cent for condos.
Shift in Geographic Hotspots
The report also indicates a shift in where the most intense competition is located. In early 2026, Toronto’s east end was the primary hotspot. By March, that energy shifted to the west end (Runnymede, Bloor West Village). However, outside the City of Toronto, Rouge Woods was the only other neighborhood to crack the top five for overbidding.
For residents and prospective buyers in the Durham Region, these statistics suggest that while the “panic buying” of previous years has leveled off elsewhere, the local market remains highly sensitive to price. With Durham’s above-asking rate sitting at double the rate of Halton’s, the region remains the primary destination for buyers seeking entry-level detached homes, keeping local competition fierce despite the broader GTA stall.
