If you’ve been paying attention to the Toronto housing market over the past two decades, you’ve probably noticed a shift – not just in prices or construction activity – but in how the market is portrayed in the media.

Once upon a time, your real estate insight came from established outlets such as The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and Financial Post. Reporting was factual, balanced, and – dare I say – relatively dry. Fast forward to 2025, and we’re awash in a sea of tweets, TikToks, blogs, subreddits and forums, all offering wildly divergent takes on where this market is headed.

Who to trust?

And while access to a wider range of perspectives isn’t inherently bad, it comes with a major downside: It’s harder than ever to know who to trust. It’s no longer just real estate economists and senior analysts being quoted – today’s media landscape features a revolving cast of anonymous Twitter accounts, overzealous mortgage brokers and real estate agents who spend more time cultivating personal brands than closing deals.

As someone who’s been quoted in the media for nearly two decades, I can tell you firsthand how distorted things can get. I’ve had thoughtful, nuanced conversations with reporters that were reduced to a single quote – always the most cautionary or provocative line I uttered. I’ve had clients call me, upset that I “went negative,” when I was actually quite bullish. But negativity sells. If you say the sky might fall, you’ll get clicks. If you say we’re likely in for a flat few months before a modest rebound, your comment ends up on the cutting room floor.

Fragmented and performative

I get it. Newspapers are competing with social media, blogs and video content. Editors want attention, and readers – especially younger ones – are trained to respond to extremes. That’s how we end up in periods where every outlet seems to be quoting people such as Garth Turner or David Madani, calling for massive price crashes year after year, despite years of market resilience. Or how a guy with a housing blog in Arizona somehow became an authority on downtown Toronto development.

This isn’t a defence of real estate bulls or a takedown of the bears – it’s just a reminder that media today is more fragmented and performative than ever. Outrage travels farther than nuance. Hot takes generate engagement. And in a world where everyone is chasing views, very few are chasing accuracy.

To be clear, this isn’t a hit piece on journalism. There are still incredible real estate reporters in this country. And there are smart voices on Twitter, YouTube and Substack doing important work. But they are few and far between, and unless you know how to separate the wheat from the chaff, it’s easy to get lost.

This is especially important for you – the new-home buyer. Because you’re the one with skin in the game. You’re the one looking to make a decision that could affect your finances for the next five, 10, 20 years. And if you spend too much time consuming the daily media swings – “Bubble!,” “Crash!,” “Rebound!” – you’ll paralyze yourself. I’ve seen it happen too many times.

Appreciation, equity gains and wealth building

The number of people who’ve been “waiting for the crash” since 2012 is astounding. Some of them still are despite current market conditions. They’ve missed a decade of appreciation, countless equity gains and the chance to build wealth simply because they were paying attention to the wrong headlines. Timing the market sounds great in theory, but in practice, it’s nearly impossible. The better approach is time in the market.

That doesn’t mean you should buy anything at any price. Absolutely not. You should look closely at your personal financial situation. Do you have a stable income? Are you planning to live in the unit for five or more years? Do you have a buffer in case of job loss or rate hikes? If so, then it might make sense to buy – even in a “down” market. If you’re banking on short-term appreciation or stretching to your absolute financial limit, maybe now isn’t the time. But that decision should be about you, not the media narrative of the moment.

There are developers right now modelling projects that do work – at lower margins, with different unit mixes, in less headline-grabbing parts of the GTA. Some are watching the current media noise carefully, waiting for the right moment to re-enter the pre-construction market. But even they know that moment will only become apparent in hindsight.

So where does this leave you? Frankly, I’d suggest you stop trying to “read the tea leaves” altogether. Stop putting your trust in PhD realtors or clickbait headlines. Instead, focus on the fundamentals: Interest rates, local supply and demand, your own budget and your long-term goals.

Data over drama

And when you do seek out information, be choosy. Find experts with skin in the game. Listen to people who’ve been in the industry through multiple cycles. Read sources that prioritize data over drama. The good news? More in-depth content is out there – it just might be behind a paywall, on a podcast, or not served to you by the algorithm. I’ll throw in a shameless plug for the Toronto Under Construction podcast.

The bottom line: In a world where the loudest voices often get the most attention, remember that headlines don’t pay your mortgage – you do. Be careful who you listen to. The market will always go up and down.

Make a decision based on your life – not the latest story in your feed.