The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that as the calendar flipped one year ago, real estate watchers were optimistic a sluggish 2023 would give way to a rebound in the spring. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says, however, that the lag in 2024 lasted longer than some expected, with the Bank of Canada waiting until June to deliver the first of the year's five interest-rate cuts. While buyers stormed back to the market this fall, experts noted the first few rate cuts had not been enough to motivate everyone to leave the sidelines quite yet. Now heading into 2025, economists and real estate agents believe activity is poised to remain strong amid much lower borrowing costs and more favourable rules for buyers. The number of homes sold in November jumped 26 per cent year-over-year, marking the second straight month of gains at that level. For the first 11 months of the year, cumulative home sales were up 6.9 per cent compared with 2023. While pent-up demand should translate to more homes changing hands in the coming months, "it's not going to be a force forever," TD Bank economist Rishi Sondhi said. He cautioned that rush will likely be exhausted "relatively soon, probably the first half of next year."