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WHAT JUST HAPPENED? HAS MOVING TO TORONTO OR RELOCATING TO TORONTO CHANGED FOR GOOD?


Blog by Doriana Zohil-Morton, Broker of Record/Owner | May 13th, 2020




Friday the 13th, March 2020, like a light switch, everything changed...what just happened? Where did everyone go??

 

Global Mobility, Relocation  and it's many facets is intricate/emotional/stressful, it's full of peaks and valleys.

When moving in Toronto it’s hard enough to move a few streets away in the same city, but moving from one continent to another is like an emotional roller coaster ride...then throw in COVID -19 in the mix,  well we then have havoc!  People are concerned about one or all of these, MENTAL, PHYSICAL and FINANCIAL HEALTH. 

The Global Mobility world on every level needs to be sensitive and compassionate now more than ever and really know and understand our transferees needs...their move cannot be  transactional, we need to listen closely and pay attention to them and really show them that we care and that we will all get through this together assisting at every stage of their relocating to Toronto process.   

At MAC Relocation Solutions, MAC Furnished Residences and MAC Real Estate Services Inc., Brokerage, we are boutique, and we have an excellent handle on this.  Because we are on the frontline for your executives we often have very close, personal relationships with our clients... we hear their stories, and sometimes we share ours, we basically are the heart and soul of your people and often become their main point of contact, becoming part of their new North American family. 

As complicated as it is for our relocating colleagues, providing real estate services in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area,  destination services and temp accommodations will never be the same. 

The federal government deems real estate an essential service, yet OREA (Ontario Real Estate Association) sets out new regulations for  Toronto Realtors to adhere to, no face to face, no open houses, buying Toronto real estate, selling and leasing must be done virtually.  This may be fine for a seasoned REAL ESTATE investor who has a long lasting relationship with their Toronto professional realtor but it doesn't cut it if you're purchasing your first forever home!  

Will buying a home or selling a home in Toronto virtually work? Would you purchase your first home virtually?

Are we asking for huge legal issues down the line?

 

WHAT WILL THIS ALL LOOK LIKE WHEN EVERYONE COMES BACK?

 

Will there be enough supply to support the demand for temporary accommodations in Toronto?

The Toronto real estate rental market has been bombarded with new listings, some never lived in Toronto pre construction buildings have as many as 100 new leases.  What will our vacancy rates in Toronto look like if this goes on much longer?

On the positive side, there will be great rental opportunities for your transferees who are permanently relocating to Toronto or the Toronto outskirts, as vacancy rates are high.  A newcomer to Toronto will have a lot to choose from.

When we are conducting our Toronto neighbourhood orientations will we be allowed to have newcomers to Toronto in our car?

Will we have to wear masks, gloves, get our transferees temperatures.

Will we need waivers to be signed while we are showing homes in Toronto? 

How much more paperwork and formality is going to be created?

Sanitization of our Toronto furnished short term rentals at MAC Furnished Residences Inc., has been taken to a whole new level.

Will we have to keep our Toronto furnished apartments vacant for at least 3 days before we allow a new family that is relocating to Toronto occupy them?

So many unknowns for Global Mobility and Relocation in Toronto across the board.

 

This is not all doom and gloom, when we come back with mortgage rates at historic lows and low inventory, we may see a flurry of sales in particular in condominium resale and the preconstruction market in large city centres.  We could see some good purchasing opportunities.




In Conclusion:

Global Mobility and Relocation has been turned upside down, it has been a time of restructuring, reflecting, retraining for our new re-mobilization...in essence a cleanse. Really taking care of everyone sincerely, authentically and from the heart.  Apps are wonderful...but mobility is about the human experience, The way moving to Toronto and business is done will definitely change but there will always be global mobility. Let's not forget what is most important, working smarter, working more efficiently, more sustainably and most importantly working closer together than ever before!!  Let's go back to basics, humanity 101...on every level. If we treat our people like a  transaction...well then we learned nothing at all. Leading with care and compassion  and LOVE is paramount. The next generation is going to shine…and at THE  MAC  Group we look forward to seeing what our newer, better and brighter generation of innovators and futurists will do to make our fabulous city Toronto better than ever before…this is an opportunity!

 

The family owned and operated MAC Group has four distinct divisions comprising of, MAC Real Estate Services Inc. Brokerage, MAC Furnished Residences Inc., MAC Relocation Solutions and MAC Caribbean Villa Rentals, that complement each other and provide a full service, holistic approach to their clients’Toronto real estate and relocation needs. And once all settled in to Toronto you may want to call us for a well deserved vacation in the Caribbean.

Please call us at 416-222-0025, we would LOVE to assist you with any of your needs while relocating to Toronto or if you are going to be in Toronto temporarily for an assignment.