Toronto Housing Market May Need Vancouver-Style Cooling, RBC Says

The head of Canada's largest lender said Toronto housing is "running hot" and is fueled by a "concerning mix of drivers" that include lack of supply, continued low rates, rising foreign money and speculative activity. Similar circumstances in Vancouver prompted British Columbia's government last year to impose a 15 percent tax on foreign buyers.

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The comments from the bank CEO come as frustration grows over the unaffordability of properties in Canada's biggest city. The average home price in Toronto jumped 22 percent in January from the previous year, the fifth straight month of gains topping 20 percent. Listings have dropped off, down by half from last year, squeezing prices further.

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Since the tax was imposed in Vancouver, monthly transactions in the metro region fell on average by 36 percent compared to a year earlier, according to data from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. Prices for prized single-family detached homes had been rising in double digits last year. In the past six months, they've fallen 6.6 percent to an average C$1.47 million, according to board figures released earlier this month.