As Toronto's housing market shifts increasingly toward vertical living, real estate broker Michelle Kam is advocating for stronger public education on urban housing decisions, emphasizing that buyers need to look beyond the initial excitement of purchasing a property. Drawing on years of experience across luxury resale, pre-construction developments, brokerage leadership, and Toronto's fast-changing condo market, Kam believes the biggest challenge facing today's buyers is not a lack of opportunity, but a lack of preparation.
'People spend weeks choosing countertops and paint colours,' Kam says. 'I always ask them to spend the same amount of time thinking about how they'll actually live in the space five years from now.' Toronto's housing landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. Condominiums now account for more than 70% of new residential construction in the city, according to housing industry data. At the same time, Toronto's population continues to grow, creating sustained demand for well-designed urban housing.
Kam says these changes require buyers to think differently. 'For years, many people viewed condos as temporary homes,' she explains. 'Now they're where people build careers, raise children, and spend much larger parts of their lives. That changes every decision you make.' She recalls one client who originally wanted the largest unit they could afford. 'After we talked through their daily routine, they realised they would benefit more from living near transit than from having an extra room they would rarely use,' Kam says. 'Their commute dropped by almost an hour each day. That decision gave them back time every single week.'
Kam believes this type of long-term thinking should become standard for anyone entering today's housing market. Research continues to show why urban planning and thoughtful housing decisions matter. More than 80% of Canadians now live in urban areas, according to Statistics Canada. Toronto remains one of North America's fastest-growing metropolitan regions, while condominium construction continues to supply the majority of new homes built in the city.
'The conversation shouldn't just be about buying property,' Kam says. 'It should be about building a life that works every day.' She also encourages buyers to pay closer attention to building quality rather than focusing only on finishes. 'I've watched buyers fall in love with a showroom kitchen,' she says. 'Then we reviewed the building's financial health and maintenance history, and suddenly they realised those details would affect them long after the excitement of move-in day.'
Kam says stronger consumer education can improve confidence and reduce costly surprises. 'When people understand reserve funds, maintenance fees, neighbourhood planning, and building management, they ask better questions,' she says. 'Better questions usually lead to better decisions.' She encourages prospective buyers to take simple steps: visit a neighbourhood at different times of the day, review a building's reserve fund and maintenance history, think about how lifestyle may change over five to ten years, prioritise layout over cosmetic upgrades, and learn about future transit projects and neighbourhood development plans.
'Small decisions today shape everyday life for years,' Kam says. 'Preparation doesn't remove uncertainty, but it gives you confidence.' Kam hopes more people will view home buying as a long-term lifestyle decision rather than simply a transaction.
