As Toronto's housing landscape shifts toward vertical living, real estate broker Michelle Kam is urging buyers to focus on long-term lifestyle needs rather than short-term aesthetics. With condominiums now accounting for more than 70% of new residential construction in the city, Kam says the biggest challenge facing today's buyers is not a lack of opportunity, but a lack of preparation.
"People spend weeks choosing countertops and paint colours," Kam says. "I always ask them to spend the same amount of time thinking about how they'll actually live in the space five years from now."
Toronto's population continues to grow, creating sustained demand for well-designed urban housing. According to Statistics Canada, more than 80% of Canadians now live in urban areas. Kam says these changes require buyers to think differently about condos, which are no longer just temporary homes but places where people build careers, raise children, and spend larger parts of their lives.
Kam recalls one client who originally wanted the largest unit they could afford. "After we talked through their daily routine, they realised they would benefit more from living near transit than from having an extra room they would rarely use," Kam says. "Their commute dropped by almost an hour each day. That decision gave them back time every single week."
Kam believes this type of long-term thinking should become standard for anyone entering today's housing market. She also encourages buyers to pay closer attention to building quality rather than focusing only on finishes. "I've watched buyers fall in love with a showroom kitchen," she says. "Then we reviewed the building's financial health and maintenance history, and suddenly they realised those details would affect them long after the excitement of move-in day."
Kam says stronger consumer education can improve confidence and reduce costly surprises. "When people understand reserve funds, maintenance fees, neighbourhood planning, and building management, they ask better questions," she says. "Better questions usually lead to better decisions."
To help prospective buyers, Kam recommends several practical steps: visit a neighbourhood at different times of the day to experience traffic, noise, and activity; review a building's reserve fund and maintenance history before becoming emotionally attached to a property; think about how your lifestyle may change over the next five to ten years; prioritize layout and functionality over cosmetic upgrades; and learn about future transit projects and neighbourhood development plans.
"Small decisions today shape everyday life for years," Kam says. "Preparation doesn't remove uncertainty, but it gives you confidence." Kam hopes more people will view home buying as a long-term lifestyle decision rather than simply a transaction.
