Rick Crouch, Broker Sotheby's International Realty Canada

10/02/2026

Your home has been sitting on the market. What are buyers thinking?

Today's buyers have access to more information than ever before.

Through MLS®, they and their agents can often see how long a property has been listed, its original asking price, price reductions, previous listings and even when it last sold and for how much.

So when a home sits on the market for weeks or months, buyers naturally start asking questions:

Why hasn't it sold? Is the price too high? Is there something I'm missing? How much negotiating room does the seller have?

That doesn't necessarily mean there is anything wrong with the property. Some homes—particularly unique, luxury and waterfront properties—can take longer to find the right buyer.

But extended market time is still information.

If buyers are looking but not making offers, the market may be telling you that something needs to change—perhaps the price, presentation, positioning or marketing strategy.

The answer isn't always simply "reduce the price."

The better question is:

What is the market telling us, and how should we respond?

I've taken a closer look at what happens when a property lingers on the market—and what sellers can do about



Click below to read the full article

Your home has been listed for weeks or perhaps even months, the offers haven’t materialized amnd showins have been minimal. What are Buyers seeing that you may not be seeing? Selling a home in today’s real estate market is very different from selling during the highly competitive markets of 2020...

09/29/2026

The Tide Has Gone Out — And Some Sellers Haven’t Noticed Yet
For several years, Southern Georgian Bay real estate was riding a wave unlike anything we'd seen before.

COVID-19, historically low mortgage rates, limited inventory and intense demand pushed prices and sales to unprecedented levels.
Multiple offers were common. Homes sold quickly. Buyers competed with one another. But that wasn't a normal market. The tide has gone out.

Today's buyers have more choice and more time. They're more cautious about price, and many are prepared to negotiate.
For sellers, this means the price a property might have achieved a few years ago is not necessarily what today's market will support.
That's why "let's list high and see what happens" can be a risky strategy.

If a property is overpriced, it can sit on the market, lose momentum and eventually require price reductions. In today's market, accurate valuation, strategic pricing, strong presentation and skilled negotiation matter.

For buyers, the changing market can provide something that was in short supply during the boom: choice and negotiating opportunity.
But real estate is local. The market in Collingwood isn't necessarily the same as The Blue Mountains, Thornbury or Wasaga Beach.
Understanding what's actually happening in your local market is critical.

The tide has gone out. And when it does, experience and good advice matter.

If you're thinking about buying or selling in Southern Georgian Bay, I'm always happy to share what I'm seeing in the market.
Trusted Advice Generates Elevated Results.

Click on the link to read my full article: https://bit.ly/4yVVB4U

For several years, Southern Georgian Bay real estate was riding an extraordinary wave. Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, historically low mortgage rates, limited inventory and a dramatic shift in where people wanted to live and work, real estate sales and prices reached unprecedented levels from 2020...

09/23/2026

Don't sell your home in 2026 like it's 2021.
And don't buy one like it's 2021 either.
The Southern Georgian Bay real estate market has changed dramatically since the pandemic-era boom.
Today, buyers have more choices. Properties are taking longer to sell. And sellers are having to compete for the attention of increasingly cautious buyers.
Here are three numbers that tell the story:
🏠 47 days — today's median time to sell, compared with just 13 days in 2022.
💰 $680,600 — the current year-to-date median residential sale price, about 5% below last year.
📋 Nearly 10-year-high inventory — giving buyers significantly more choice.
So what does this mean?
If you're selling:
Don't rely on what your neighbour sold for several years ago. Current market value and strategic pricing are critical.
If you're buying:
You have more choice and potentially more negotiating room — but that doesn't mean every property is a bargain.
The opportunity is there for both buyers and sellers.
But today's market rewards information, preparation and strategy — not guesswork.
I've just published my latest Southern Georgian Bay Real Estate Market Update, covering Collingwood, The Blue Mountains, Meaford, Wasaga Beach, Clearview and Grey Highlands.



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The Market Has Changed – Strategy Matters More Than Ever If you are thinking about buying or selling real estate in Southern Georgian Bay, the market in 2026 requires a very different approach than it did just a few years ago. The extraordinary real estate conditions of 2020, 2021 and into 2022 wh...

09/23/2026

If you are a home owner with a larger lawn, it may call for a riding lawnmower to get the job done.

I am all for exercise, for the most part I enjoy cutting grass using a walk behind self-propelled lawnmower. On hot summer days which appear to be getting more frequent, exhaustion takes all the fun out of it.

Recently I began looking at and did some research on riding lawnmowers particular the smaller lawn tractor variety. Like home appliances, the lawn tractor market is dominated by two or three big names. Stanley Black & Decker who owns MTD Products make several household brands, including Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, and Craftsman, which dominate big-box store residential sales.

The riding lawnmowers found in the big-box retail stores such as Home Depot, Lowes and other are okay but they are entry level consumers products. They are fine for smaller, level residential lots and are built to meet a specific price point and profit margin. Unlike commercial grade equipment they are for light duty use and do not stand up over the long term like the commercial grade unit used by landscapers etc. A John Deere lawn tractor sold at Home Depot is not the same as a unit sold at a John Deere dealer. Their consumer products are built at a plant in Tennessee while their primary product line is built at a plant in Horicon, Wisconsin.

Prior to real estate I ran a company in Canada and the U.S., John Deere was one of our major customers. I have been in numerous John Deere plants and know first-hand the quality of their farm and outdoor products. As such when I started looking for a lawn tractor for my own home, John Deere was at the top of my preferred listed.

Searching on Facebook marketplace I was lucky to find the unit in these photos. It is almost 30 years old, has not been restored rather it was hardly ever used and is in like new condition. I contacted the seller to make sure it wasn't an online scam. They were a nice couple in Stouffville and a pleasure to deal with. They let me start and drive it, I even cut some grass. After some haggling we loaded it in my truck and it now has a new home.

I installed a new battery, changed the oil, the oil and fuel filters, it runs and cuts my grass perfectly. Liker anything it pays to do your research and shop around, there are some great deals out there to be had if you put in the effort to find them.

09/18/2026

This is an open invitation to my real estate colleagues to attend an informative W**e and Cheese event on Wednesday September 23rd from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

Balmoral Vita Signature Residences is a "to be built" luxury condominium building in Collingwood next to the existing Balmoral Village development.

This unique project introduces a distinctive residential model that blends custom condominium living with flexible integrated support designed for life. Smart-sized for today and tomorrow.

Visit https://balmoralvita.com/ for more information and click on the image below to RSVP for this upcoming REALTOR® only event to learn more.

09/09/2026

“I want to give back to the community.”

That’s a nice sentiment.

But in the 2026 municipal election, should that be enough?

We’re facing some very real challenges in Southern Georgian Bay — housing affordability, property taxes, infrastructure, growth and the ability of local workers and younger families to remain in our communities.

Recent Nanos Research found that 84% of residents surveyed are worried about the next generation’s ability to afford a home.

Nearly 45% say housing will affect how they vote.

And yet, election campaigns can sometimes be filled with general statements about wanting to “make a difference” or “give back.”

That’s not a plan.

As voters, I think we should be asking candidates some tougher questions:

👉 What specifically will you do about housing affordability?

👉 How will you balance growth with infrastructure?

👉 How will you protect taxpayers?

👉 How will you create communities where people who work here can actually afford to live here?

👉 And what do you want our communities to look like 10 or 20 years from now?

We don't need candidates to have all the answers.

But we should expect them to have thoughtful ideas about the problems we face and a willingness to explain how they intend to address them.

After more than 25 years working in Southern Georgian Bay real estate, I believe those of us who live and work here have a responsibility to participate in this conversation.

Housing is about more than houses. It’s about the future of our communities.

What question would you ask a municipal candidate?



👉 Read my full blog post at:

Housing affordability, the cost of living and responsible growth are becoming impossible for municipal politicians to ignore As Ontario heads toward the 2026 municipal elections, there is no shortage of issues competing for voters’ attention. Property taxes. Roads and infrastructure. Healthcare. C...

09/03/2026

What is happening in the Southern Georgian Bay luxury real estate market?
If you've been wondering what's happening with homes and condominiums priced over $1 million, the answer is pretty clear:
The market has changed.
Through the second quarter of 2026, luxury property sales across Southern Georgian Bay are down about 9% from last year and remain well below the levels we saw during the exceptionally strong markets of 2020–2022.
At the same time, buyers have considerably more choice. There were approximately 491 properties priced over $1 million on MLS® in the region as of July 2026.
That creates a very different environment for both buyers and sellers.
🏡 For sellers: Pricing your property correctly has never been more important. Buyers have alternatives, and properties that are overpriced can take considerably longer to sell.
🔑 For buyers: More inventory means more choice, more time to make decisions and potentially greater negotiating power.
And while the overall numbers are important, luxury real estate is never simply about the numbers. Location, waterfront, acreage, views, construction quality, finishes and proximity to the area's recreational amenities can make a substantial difference in value.
I've taken a closer look at the numbers—and what they actually mean if you're thinking about buying or selling a luxury property in Southern Georgian Bay.
Read my latest market commentary on my website:
https://bit.ly/3TfTOsl

If you own a luxury home valued more than $1 million in Southern Georgian Bay, or are considering buying one, the luxury property market today looks vastly different from what we experienced during the COVID 19 pandemic 2020 through 2022. The luxury segment of the market has been one of the weakest....