When Barbara Lawlor joined Baker Real Estate Inc. 23 years ago, there wasn’t much of a condominium market to speak of in Toronto. But there was the odd project here and there, and as Lawlor recalls, it was the Chinese brokers who first recognized the opportunity.
“They understood the future of our housing in Toronto would be condominium,” Baker Real Estate’s president told a recent Epoch Times roundtable, which brought together the city’s top real estate sales and marketing players to discuss the importance of the Chinese market and offer insights into how they cater to it.
“(The Chinese) saw the potential of condos back then. We saw it back then, too, and it’s evolved into a major industry in Toronto.”
And it’s still Chinese brokers and buyers driving sales at big projects. Take The Rosedale on Bloor for example. Last month’s highly anticipated launch of the 476-unit tower—which includes a first-in-Canada Canopy by Hilton hotel—drew more than 800 brokers, according to Lawlor, far more than could fit into the sales centre. “The Chinese brokers were out in droves.”
