You want the price down. On a resale house you write a lower offer and see if the seller blinks. On a new house the number on the sales-centre wall is meant to look finished. Most builders will not cut that number in public, because the next buyer and the next appraisal will see it.

I used to sit on the other side of that table. I ran sales and marketing for more than 1,200 homes. We held the advertised price and moved the money into a credit, free upgrades, a smaller lot premium, or a better deal on a home that was already sitting. I now use that same knowledge as a buyer’s agent in the City of Toronto, the 416. I do not work for these builders. I represent you at the sales centre.

Redfin asked agents how to get the best deal on a new-construction home. They published the answers in 8 Tips for Negotiating the Best Deal on a New Construction Home. They quoted me as a Toronto realtor and the publisher of The Real Estate Insider, one of Toronto’s most comprehensive real estate blogs. They asked what can still change after a buyer signs the agreement. I answered that for a wide audience. This is the Toronto version: if a finish, a closing charge, or a date is not locked, you can still try to get it included, credited, or capped. That is usually how you pay less, because the advertised price rarely moves.

Why builders hold the advertised price

A public price cut on one lot made every neighbour want the same discount. It also showed up later in appraisals for the rest of the project. So the sales office will often say the price is firm, then ask if you want a closing credit, help with closing costs, or upgrades thrown in.

Treat those extras as money. A $20,000 upgrade package you no longer pay for is a $20,000 better deal, even if the purchase price never changes. Your job is to get the best all-in number in writing before the agreement is firm.

How negotiating a new construction home in Toronto actually lowers what you pay

In the 416, a new house is usually a townhome or a small infill, not a 400-lot subdivision. The play is still the same. Start with the home that has been sitting. Inventory and quick-close houses cost the builder interest and carrying costs. Those lots usually have more room than a brand-new release that just went on the board.

Then look at the lot premium. A corner, a wider lot, or a park view can add tens of thousands. It is easier for a builder to move a premium than to reprint the price list.

Not every project has a model home. If there is one, walk it with the feature sheet in your hand and mark every finish you actually want. If there is no model, the feature sheet, the floor plans, and the finish schedule are the deal. Ask which items on that sheet are included in the purchase price, which are upgrades, and what the builder can still swap after you sign. Get those answers in writing. A rendering is not a contract.

Ask for a closing credit or a cap on extras. Levies, development charges, enrolment fees, and Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) can still show up after you sign. If those lines can grow, your deal was not a deal. I broke out the tax piece in my note on the Ontario HST rebate.

Have a lawyer who reads builder paper confirm the money is in the agreement, not in a handshake. I can sit in that sales-centre meeting with you so the on-site rep is not the only person in the room who has done this before.

Questions to ask when negotiating a new construction home in Toronto

Use these at the sales centre. Get the answers on the agreement or an amending schedule the same day.

Will you reduce the purchase price on this lot?

• Ask once, clearly, and wait. Some builders will not move the board price. That is useful to know before you spend an hour on upgrades.
• If they say no, do not leave. Ask where they will put the money instead.

What is the incentive on this lot this week?

• Ask for a written list: a price credit, free upgrades, or help with closing costs.
• Incentives change by release and by how many lots are left. Today’s offer is not next month’s offer.

Can you reduce or waive a lot premium?

• Have them show you the base price and the premium as two lines.
• If you do not need the corner or the extra width, ask to move to a cheaper lot or to cut the premium on the one you want.

What on the feature sheet is included, and what is an upgrade?

• Work from the feature sheet even if there is no model to walk.
• If there is a model, use it only as a sample. Ask which of those finishes are actually in your price.
• Ask for the finishes you want to be included, or for a credit that covers the upgrade ticket.
• If the builder can substitute materials later, you also want notice and an equal product, or the credit stays yours.

Is there a better price on an inventory or quick-close home?

• Ask which homes are built, under construction, or sitting with a near closing date.
• Those are often the lots where a builder will do the most on price or extras, because they are already carrying the house.

Can you cap or credit the extras so my all-in number comes down?

• Ask for a list of every charge that can still appear at closing.
• Try to cap those amounts, or take a credit that covers today’s estimate.
• If they will not cap the extras, get the current numbers in an email you can show your lawyer and your lender.

What deposit schedule can you accept?

• A smaller cheque up front, or more time between deposits, is real money in your pocket while you wait to close.
• Do not confuse a softer deposit with a lower price. Try for both.

If I sign this week, what is the best written package on this lot?

• Ask them to put the price, credits, included upgrades, and any cap on extras on one page.
• If they need the deal today, that is when you ask for the last dollar. Do not give them a signed agreement first and hope they improve it later.

New townhomes selling in Toronto right now

These are examples of 416 townhome projects selling as of late August 2026, in North York, Etobicoke, and downtown. This is not every townhome on sale in the city. Some of these will have a model. Some will only have a feature sheet and a sales centre. Either way, I can go in as your buyer agent and work the package before you sign.

• Crosstown Towns at Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue, by Aspen Ridge Homes. Freehold three-storey towns, 2,200 to 2,800 square feet. The presentation centre is at 844 Don Mills Road, and the builder is advertising a new release.
• Edenbridge at 259 The Kingsway in Etobicoke, by Tridel. Garden townhomes and suites. Confirm on the day you visit whether a model is open, or whether you are buying from the feature sheet.
• MRKT at Dundas Street and Spadina Avenue. A limited collection of two-storey townhomes downtown, plus move-in-ready suites. Eligible buyers may also get the enhanced HST rebate on a completed home.

Inventory changes week to week. If you have a different 416 townhome on your list, send me the name. Use the builder site for the current board, then call me before you write a cheque.

The same money conversation on a new Toronto condo

A lot of buyers start in a townhome sales centre and end up looking at a condo in the same week. The contract is different. The money talk is not. The list price is still meant to look firm. The room is still in a credit, a design-studio allowance, parking, a locker, or a suite the builder is already carrying.

I am not going to list Toronto condo projects here. There are dozens, sometimes close to a hundred, in some stage of sale in the 416 at any one time. A short list would look like I only work three buildings. A long list would be wrong by next month. If you have a project name, send it. I represent buyers on new 416 condos, not the developer.

Ask the same questions, with condo language. Will you reduce this suite price? What is the incentive this week? Is there a better number on an inventory or move-in-ready unit? Can you include parking or cap the extras so my all-in number comes down? Work from the feature sheet and the schedule of finishes, whether or not a model suite is open. Get it in the agreement.

Final Thoughts

You can negotiate a new construction home in Toronto. You are usually negotiating the package, not a public cut to the advertised price. That is true on a townhome and on a condo. Get the credit, the upgrades, and the extras on paper, then have a lawyer who handles builder deals confirm the money is real.

If you want help on a Toronto project before you sign, contact me.