Waterloo REALTOR® | Mathew Toussaint
Mathew Toussaint is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty of Canada working with buyers, sellers and investors in Waterloo, Ontario. Waterloo behaves differently from the rest of the region because two universities and a large tech employment base sit inside a relatively small city. This page covers what that means when you buy, sell or invest here.
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Buying a home in Waterloo
Waterloo splits fairly cleanly into three kinds of housing. Established mid-century neighbourhoods sit close to the universities and Uptown, with bungalows, sidesplits and larger lots. The west side, out through Laurelwood, Clair Hills and Vista Hills, is newer detached and townhouse construction, much of it built since the 2000s. Uptown and the corridor toward Conestoga Mall carry the condo apartment supply, a good part of it on the ION line.
The wrinkle buyers run into here is student housing. Streets near the campuses contain a mix of owner-occupied homes and converted rentals, sometimes side by side. That is not automatically a problem, but it changes the character of a street and it is worth knowing which you are buying into before you fall for a floor plan.
West-side family buyers are usually weighing newer construction and school catchments against a longer drive; buyers nearer Uptown are trading lot size for walkability and transit. Both are reasonable, and the right answer depends on how you actually live.
Selling a home in Waterloo
Waterloo sellers have two quite different buyer pools depending on where the home sits. Near the universities you may be selling to investors as well as families, and those two groups value the property differently: an investor is looking at the unit count and the rent, a family is looking at the kitchen and the yard. Marketing to only one of them can leave money on the table.
On the west side the competition is mostly other similar homes in the same subdivision, so presentation and pricing accuracy matter more than positioning. In either case, start with an honest view of what has sold nearby in your housing type, then decide on strategy.
Start with a home value estimate, then read through the selling process.
Investing in Waterloo real estate
Waterloo is one of the more established student rental markets in Ontario, and that brings both the demand and the rules. The City of Waterloo operates a residential rental licensing programme, so if you are buying a property that is rented by the room, or that you intend to rent that way, confirm the licensing and zoning requirements with the City before you commit. Purpose-built student buildings are a separate segment again, with their own management and resale characteristics.
Outside the student market, the tech and research employment base supports ordinary long-term rentals across the city, and the ION line has made transit-oriented units easier to rent.
As anywhere in Ontario, buying a tenanted property means assuming the existing tenancy and the rules attached to it. Property management after closing is handled by a property management company rather than by your REALTOR®.
Waterloo neighbourhoods
- Uptown Waterloo — condos and older homes around King Street, on the ION line, walkable to Waterloo Park and the shops and restaurants.
- Westmount and Beechwood — established, larger lots, mature trees, close to the universities without being in the middle of the student streets.
- Lakeshore, Colonial Acres and Lexington — north-end family neighbourhoods built largely in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Eastbridge — north-east, newer than Lakeshore, close to the Grand River and the expressway.
- Laurelwood, Clair Hills and Vista Hills — the west side, the newest large subdivisions, popular with families for the schools and newer housing stock.
- Columbia Forest and Clair Creek — south-west, a mix of detached and townhouse, quick access to Erb Street and the expressway.
Commuting and getting around Waterloo
The ION light rail runs through Uptown Waterloo and south into Kitchener, connecting the universities, Uptown, the Innovation District and the Kitchener GO station. If you are commuting to Toronto by train you will be starting from Kitchener station, so proximity to the ION matters as much as proximity to the highway. Drivers use the Highway 7 and 8 expressway to reach Highway 401, which is on the far side of Kitchener rather than in Waterloo itself.
How to choose the best REALTOR® in Waterloo
No one publishes an objective ranking of the best REALTOR® in Waterloo, so the practical question is fit. Useful things to compare:
- Local knowledge — can they tell you which streets near the universities are predominantly rentals, and why it matters to you?
- Market knowledge — can they show the sales behind their pricing opinion?
- Investment experience — important in Waterloo, where student rentals and licensing come up regularly.
- Communication — speed and method, in a market where good listings move quickly.
- Negotiation — how they handle competing offers and conditions.
- Technology — do new listings reach you the day they list?
- Reviews — what past clients say about the difficult parts.
Mathew works across Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge and the wider region and handles buyer, seller and investor files. Read client reviews or start a conversation.
Frequently asked questions about buying and selling in Waterloo
Who is a local REALTOR® in Waterloo?
Mathew Toussaint is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty of Canada serving Waterloo and the surrounding region. He can be reached through the contact page.
How do I find homes for sale in Waterloo?
You can search Waterloo listings on this site and save a search so new listings are emailed to you. Mathew can also build the search for you around your area, budget, bedrooms and timing.
Is Waterloo a good place to buy a student rental?
It is an established student rental market, but it is also a regulated one. The City of Waterloo runs a residential rental licensing programme and has zoning rules that affect rental-by-the-room properties. Confirm the licensing position on any specific property with the City before you write an offer, and factor the cost and conditions into your numbers.
What is the difference between buying in Waterloo and buying in Kitchener?
They share a border and a transit line, so the practical differences are housing stock and character rather than distance. Waterloo has the universities, more purpose-built student housing and a large block of newer west-side subdivisions. Kitchener has a wider range of older housing, more condo supply downtown and the GO station.
What is my Waterloo home worth?
An online estimate is a starting point, not an appraisal. Start with the online estimate, then ask for a market review that takes your specific property and street into account.
Does Mathew work outside Waterloo?
Yes. He works across Waterloo Region and Southern Ontario, including Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph, Wilmot Township, Hamilton, Burlington and Oakville.
Next steps
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