My name is Steven Fudge, and I’m a realtor and housing consultant who has been guiding Buyers & Sellers through the Toronto real estate market for over three decades.

With higher interest rates impacting affordability and global capital exiting to more lucrative pastures, the Toronto Real Estate market has been in flux since March 2020. After decades of bidding wars – followed by 30 months of recent market trepidation – Buyers  are now becoming accustomed to (and dare I say more confident) submitting Offers for sums below asking. We’re also seeing Buyers drawing their own lines in the sand, prepared to walk away without hesitation when negotiations stall. Meanwhile, Sellers are having a difficult time reconciling the Boom has Bust. Many property owners are experiencing financial duress, and those who bought a condominium as long ago as 2018 will likely lose money should they sell now. As Sellers lament the ‘good ole days’, inexperienced realtors are scratching their heads wondering when boom times are returning. For them to consider the possibility it may be years is too painful to process.

I understand this. I have navigated – and survived – a Toronto real estate bubble bursting. Over 25 years ago – from 1989 to 1999 – the value of Toronto real estate market dropped 35% over a six year period and then flatlined for the next four. It was so long ago we selectively forgot while we collectively enjoyed a 25  year run of an escalating market going up, up, & up.

What does this mean? Two generations of Torontonians have never experienced a market correction of this magnitude. And of the 70,000-ish realtors who are members of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, only 3% have been working for 25 years or longer. This means the pool of licensed property professionals who have the knowledge, experience and wisdom critical to guide property owners through our current market conditions is pretty select.

This month is my 35th anniversary being a licensed Toronto realtor. To acknowledge this – and to encourage you to consider our services – here are two recent testimonials from clients about their journey in the sale and purchase of property in Toronto with the Urbaneer Team.

I started my career in 1989 just weeks after the housing bubble burst! How’s that for timing the market? As a realtor who saw property values drop upwards of 35% over the first 6 years of his career, flatline for the next four, and then begin their ascent for the next 2+ decades, I experienced first-hand how cyclical a real estate market can be.

(You can read my post on the subject here: When Dreams Of Domesticity Became Nightmares: A Recollection Of The 1989 Toronto Housing Market Crash)

And we are seeing this now, again, in real-time – particularly in Toronto’s condominium market, where values and prices continue to fall, and we are overrun with available (yet ubiquitous and unattractive) stock. Folks are defaulting on mortgages across the country, and real estate fatigue is at an all-time high. We’re still waiting on affordable housing for all, while the three levels of government desperately try to fill the ‘missing middle’ and provide a wider range of housing options for Canadians.

I’ve navigated my business and our clients through bleak economic times of austerity measures and depreciating assets as well as through years of prosperity and steeply rising values! And while I’m uncertain how the other 97% of the membership at the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board – who have only known market stability during their real estate careers – are faring blindly guiding their clients, we’re thriving despite the difficult times.

But enough bragging. I’m going to let the letters below do that for me!   🙂

Here is a letter written by our recent client, whose property we sold this summer (2024).

I have been investing in real estate for more that 25 years and in that time have been involved with more than 15 real estate transactions working with several real estate agents.

Without question, Steven, James, and the team they are supported by at Bosley Real Estate are the strongest I have ever had the privilege of partnering with.

Steven’s knowledge of the market is encyclopedic.  His talent for analyzing data and providing recommendations based on his insights was invaluable.  He was a step ahead of market dynamics which allowed us to make the correct pricing and marketing decisions.  His design aesthetic and staging talent brought out the best in my property — positioning it well for sale in a market that was quickly deteriorating.  He also provided wise counsel, saving me thousands in potential renovation bills before we listed the property.

James is gifted at managing details and engaging the right expertise within the team’s network to handle the most delicate of potential situations.  His relationship-building and client-coaching skills are the best I’ve experienced in the business.  He followed up with every single agent and party that viewed my property and provided detailed reports on what was happening with each party.

Both Steven and James far surpassed my expectations.  They handled every unexpected detail end-to-end: managing a difficult property manager, seeking answers from various partners on my behalf when I simply did not have the bandwidth to do so on my own, taking care of my property when I was out of town on business and holiday.  There are just too many pleasant surprises and examples of professionalism and knowledge to list here.

Together, the two make a powerful team.

In short, they made the entire sales process easy for me and closed a deal at a price that I am happy with.  I would recommend them without an ounce of hesitation.  Hire them!

S. K.

This letter was written by a long-time client whom we helped to purchase a condominium in the Spring (2024):

Buying any property, let alone being a first-time home buyer can be a very overwhelming and intimidating experience, making it all the more important to have an excellent realtor. Steven and James were beyond excellent in helping me secure my first home!  I reached out to Steven and James after they sold my parents property on the Danforth.

I began my own home search and started working with Steven and James in June 2022, looking at both freehold homes and condominium dwellings across the central east end of the City. Ultimately,  after a long search,  I purchased my home in May 2024. Steven and James have extensive knowledge of not only the real estate market as a whole, but they are also well versed on all the idiosyncratic and niche tidbits that come along with buying a property, such as the typical construction practices through the decades and the things you may need to look out for as a result. They are so thorough in everything they do and they will bring to light many things you aren’t even thinking of which instills so much confidence in a buyer.

We’d love to introduce our services to you.

Serving first and second-time Buyers, relocations, renovators, and those building their long-term property portfolios, our mandate is to help clients choose the property that will realize the highest future return on their investment while ensuring the property best serves their practical needs and their dream of “Home” during their ownership.

Are you considering selling? We welcome providing you with a comprehensive assessment free of charge, including determining your Buyer profile, ways to optimize your return on investment, and tailoring the listing process to suit your circumstances. Check out How Urbaneer Sold An East York Bungalow ‘Estate Sale’ For Redevelopment to learn more about what we do!

Consider letting Urbaneer guide you through your Buying or Selling process, without pressure, or hassle.

We are here to help!

Thanks for reading!

-The Urbaneer Team

Steven Fudge, Sales Representative
& The Innovative Urbaneer Team
Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage – (416) 322-800

– we’re here to earn your trust, then your business –

Celebrating Thirty-Five Years As A Top-Producing Toronto Realtor

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*Love Canadian Housing? Check out Steve’s University Student Mentorship site called Canadian Real Estate, Housing & Home which focuses on architecture, landscape, design, products, and real estate in Canada!