GTA Commercial REALTORS(R) Report Commercial Market Figures

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 5, 2012) - Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) Commercial Division Members reported almost 3.5 million square feet of total leased space in the second quarter of 2012. This figure represented a decline of 22 per cent compared to 4.4 million leased square feet in Q2 2011. While the amount of space leased was down year-over-year, average lease rates were up for industrial, commercial/retail and office properties.

Industrial properties accounted for close to 80 per cent of total leased space through the TorontoMLS system in the second quarter, with deals completed for over 2.7 million square feet of industrial space - down by seven per cent compared to Q2 2011. The average lease rate for industrial properties transacted on a per square foot net basis and for which pricing was disclosed was $4.92, representing a 13 per cent increase year-over-year.

"Given the degree of economic uncertainty that has characterized the Canadian economy this year, it is not surprising that the amount of space leased was down in the second quarter compared to the same period in 2011. With this said, while some firms may have temporarily taken a step back from further real estate investment, we continued to see enough demand for average lease rates to remain buoyant over the past year," commented TREB Commercial Division Chair Cynthia Lai.

Sales of industrial and commercial properties, with 98 and 95 transactions respectively, were down in comparison to the second quarter of 2011. There were also 50 office transactions representing a slight increase over Q2 2011. Changes in average selling prices compared to last year were mixed. The average price per square foot for sold industrial properties was up substantially on a year-over-year basis, whereas the average selling prices for commercial/retail and office properties were down.

"Price change can often be driven by a change in the composition of sales from one year to the next. This was certainly the case for industrial transactions in the second quarter. Last year, larger industrial properties, which generally sell for less on a per square foot basis, accounted for a much greater share of transactions compared to 2012. This compositional shift was the main driver of the jump in the average industrial selling price," continued Lai.

Second Quarter 2012: All Commercial Lease Transactions

Total Leased Space for All Lease Transaction Types on TorontoMLS®

Total Leased Square Feet
	Q2 2012	Q2 2011	% Change
Industrial	2,719,785	2,925,624	-7.0	%
Commercial	406,664	903,405	-55.0	%
Office	332,008	591,456	-43.9	%
Total	3,458,456	4,420,485	-21.8	%

Second Quarter 2012: Per Square Foot Net Commercial Leasing Summary

Lease Transactions Completed on a Per Square Foot Net Basis with Pricing Disclosed on TorontoMLS®

Leased Sq. Ft. (Price Disclosed, Per Sq.Ft. Net)						Avg. Lease Rate (Price Disclosed, Per Sq.Ft. Net)
	Q2 2012	Q2 2011	% Change				Q2 2012		Q2 2011		% Change
Industrial	1,729,178	2,376,343	-27.2	%		Industrial	$	4.92	$	4.34	13.4	%
Commercial	185,936	235,444	-21.0	%		Commercial	$	17.22	$	15.37	12.1	%
Office	149,396	224,703	-33.5	%		Office	$	12.29	$	11.52	6.6	%
Total	2,064,511	2,836,490	-27	%

Second Quarter 2012: All Commercial Sale Transactions

Total Number of Sales on TorontoMLS®

Total Sales
	Q2 2012	Q2 2011	% Change
Industrial	98	126	-22.2	%
Commercial	95	105	-9.5	%
Office	50	48	4.2	%
Total	243	279	-12.9	%

Second Quarter 2012: Commercial Sales Completed with Pricing Disclosed on TorontoMLS®

Sales (Price Disclosed)						Avg. Sale Price Per Sq. Ft. (Pricing Disclosed)
	Q2	Q2	%				Q2		Q2		%
	2012	2011	Change				2012		2011		Change
Industrial	98	93	5.4	%		Industrial	$	100.24	$	66.53	50.7	%
Commercial	95	87	9.2	%		Commercial	$	128.85	$	142.99	-9.9	%
Office	50	42	19.0	%		Office	$	190.42	$	238.17	-20.1	%
Total	243	222	9	%

Greater Toronto REALTORS® are passionate about their work. They are governed by a strict Code of Ethics and share a state-of-the-art Multiple Listing Service. Over 34,000 TREB Members serve consumers in the Greater Toronto Area. The Toronto Real Estate Board is Canada's largest real estate board.

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