189 Empress Avenue, Toronto, ON
Willowdale East, Toronto · MLS® C13776226
About this home
In short
- Steps to the top-ranking Hollywood P.S. & Earl Haig S.S., situated in the prestigious Willowdale East community, this exceptional 9-year-old custom-built 4+1 bedroom...
- Thoughtfully designed with a unique and functional layout, the home showcases extensive hardwood and marble flooring, elegant wainscoting and wall paneling, custom...
- Highlights include a beautifully paneled private library, a breathtaking primary suite, and a gourmet kitchen with breakfast area, high-end appliances, quality...
- Solid interior doors and 3 fireplaces further enhance the home's luxurious character.
- Heated floors in all bathrooms and foyer, high-end appliances, B/I speakers thru-out, professional security monitoring, water filtration, HRV ventilation system, and...
Steps to the top-ranking Hollywood P.S. & Earl Haig S.S., situated in the prestigious Willowdale East community, this exceptional 9-year-old custom-built 4+1 bedroom, 6-bathroom detached home has been meticulously maintained by its original owner. Lightly occupied with minimal cooking and use, the residence remains in near-mint, pristine condition. Thoughtfully designed with a unique and functional layout, the home showcases extensive hardwood and marble flooring, elegant wainscoting and wall paneling, custom built-ins, crown mouldings, LED pot lights, and impressive vaulted and coffered ceilings with rope lighting. Highlights include a beautifully paneled private library, a breathtaking primary suite, and a gourmet kitchen with breakfast area, high-end appliances, quality cabinetry, quartz countertops and marble backsplash. Each bedroom features its own private ensuite. Solid interior doors and 3 fireplaces further enhance the home's luxurious character. Heated floors in all bathrooms and foyer, high-end appliances, B/I speakers thru-out, professional security monitoring, water filtration, HRV ventilation system, and lawn sprinkler system provide exceptional comfort and convenience. The professionally finished walk-up basement offers a spacious recreation room, fireplace, nanny/in-law bedroom, 4-piece bathroom and optional secondary laundry area. An exceptional custom residence combining quality craftsmanship, sophisticated architectural details, luxurious finishes and a highly functional layout in one of Toronto's most desirable neighbourhoods. Don't Miss it!
Key facts
- Property type
- Detached, 2-Storey
- MLS®
- C13776226
- Bedrooms
- 4+1 (5 total)
- Bathrooms
- 6 (1 half)
- Size
- 2500-3000 sq ft
- Lot
- 46.68 × 86.06 ft
- Cross streets
- Yonge / Empress
- Parking
- 2 garage · 4 parking (built-in)
- Driveway
- Private Double
- Basement
- Finished with Walk-Out, Separate Entrance
- Heating
- Forced Air
- A/C
- Central Air
- Exterior
- Brick, Stone
- Foundation
- Poured Concrete
- Roof
- Asphalt Shingle
- Sewer
- Sewer
- Property tax
- $14,863 / 2026
- Days on market
- 1
- Listing brokerage
- RE/MAX REALTRON JIM MO REALTY
Rooms
breakfast area · stainless steel appl · w/o to deck
panelled · coffered ceiling(s) · combined w/living
b/i shelves · gas fireplace · vaulted ceiling(s)
wall sconce lighting · 7 pc ensuite · walk-in closet(s)
heated floor · wainscoting · marble floor
above grade window · 4 pc ensuite · closet
hardwood floor · b/i bookcase · coffered ceiling(s)
hardwood floor · 3 pc ensuite · closet
hardwood floor · 3 pc ensuite · closet
hardwood floor · 3 pc ensuite · closet
w/o to yard · coffered ceiling(s) · gas fireplace
hardwood floor · gas fireplace · panelled
Listed at $2,620,000 with no offer date, so the ask is the seller’s number, and homes priced this way sell close to it. My read is $2.51M, typically $2.25M to $2.89M. Comparable closings on their own put this home around $2.25M, so the ask carries a premium over the comparables: the seller is pricing in the finishes, the lot, or room to negotiate. That gap is your negotiating room.
Second read, from the city assessment: $2.45M. Similar homes sold in line with their assessments, and this one lands close to the comparable-sales figure, which is what a firm read looks like.
One thing to square: the homes for sale nearby are asking more than this one. My estimate is built on recent closings, and around here sellers have been asking more than buyers end up paying. So this can be the least expensive home on the street and still be priced ahead of where sales actually land.
Total price vs nearby homes. Fair value about $2.51M, median of 56 comparables.
The market behind the math:
About 1.1 months of inventory: 14 detached homes for sale in the area against 37 closings in the last 90 days. Under two months favours sellers, over four favours buyers.
Price per square foot: this home lists at $953/sqft against an area asking average of $884/sqft. Size and $/sqft both feed the estimate above.
- Corner lot. Two street frontages: more to landscape, shovel and mow, and more exposure to traffic, wind and headlights at night. Buyers price that against an interior lot on the same street, so I read this one on the cautious side and confirm the setting in person.
- Walk-out basement apartment features. A finished 1 bed walk-out basement apartment with a separate entrance. A self-contained space for extended family, guests or potential income. Basements do rent in Willowdale East: 32 of the 231 detached leases here lately were basement units, around $2,150 a month. That makes the suite real income, and comparable-sales math under-prices it, so read the estimate as a floor. Second-suite retrofit status is not verified. A buyer intending to rent should confirm requirements with the City of Toronto.
How this estimate is builtthe short version
I take the 56 most comparable recent sales nearby and adjust each one to this home for the real differences (size, beds, baths, garage, lot frontage, a ravine backing, an inground pool), then use the median, which is steadier than leaning on any single sale.
It’s grounded in recent closing prices, not asking prices. Lot, condition, and finishes are my in-person call, and the city (MPAC) assessment points to about $2.45M, a close match.
What the listing highlights4 points to weigh
Claims from the listing, worth confirming in person. I can book you a private showing.
- Upscale kitchen: a genuine value driver, verify the appliances, stone, and finishes in person. Value driver
- Heated floors: comfort and a premium-finish signal. Lifestyle
- Tall ceilings: they transform how a home feels, worth confirming the actual heights room to room. Worth verifying
- Hardwood floors: quality hardwood is durable and broadly desirable. Lifestyle
Schools & getting aroundcatchment and transit
On schools, this address is zoned for Hollywood Public School, one of the higher-rated public schools in the area. A strong catchment tends to hold value and widen your resale pool, especially with family buyers.
Based on 56 comparable homes that sold in Willowdale East over the past two years, from 215 closings there.
For sale
For sale
For sale
For sale
For sale
For saleThe closest active listings by size, beds, and price, so you can see what this home is up against.
Per square foot, these ask about $993/sqft; this home lists at $953/sqft. Size is part of the price story, not just the sticker.
The 5 closest of 6 active listings nearby.
See all comparable homesNeighbourhood & location
Willowdale East, Toronto, ON
Enter a workplace or destination and we’ll show the door-to-door time by car, transit and bike.
How asking prices compare in the closest areas to this home. Longer bars mean a pricier market.
Typical asking price of active listings of the same type, per area (outliers removed). Toronto.
Get the full neighbourhood report (schools, parks, transit & safety) →
The public and Catholic schools this address is zoned for, with EQAO results (the share of students meeting Ontario's provincial standard).
School attendance boundaries and EQAO results are Ontario government data and can change. Confirm the current catchment with the school board before relying on it.
Also nearby: 12 more schools within 2.5 km
Not the assigned catchment: schools a family here could reach, with EQAO results where published.
Affordability & Mortgage
Income needed assumes a ~32% GDS ratio; weekly is mortgage principal & interest only. Price ÷ income is the home price over the income needed. Fixed reference assumptions so listings compare on equal footing, not a lending decision.
Calculate and customize your mortgage and other expenses
Adjust the down payment, rate, and amortization, and add property tax, condo fees, and heating to see your true monthly cost.
Your numbers
Homes over $1.5M can't be insured, so 20% down or more is required.
Conventional (20%+ down). Best insured 5-year fixed 4.09% via Ratehub.ca (as of September 11, 2026); conventional rates run a little higher.
Mortgage amount $2,096,000 · 4.24% over 25 years
Total monthly cost
- Mortgage payment (monthly equivalent)
- $11,300
- Property tax
- $1,239
- Condo / maintenance fees
- $0
- Heating
- $0
- Estimated monthly cost
- $12,538
Add your own property tax, condo fees, and heating on the left for a sharper total.
One-time closing costs
- Ontario land transfer tax
- $51,975
- Toronto municipal land transfer tax
- $51,975
- Estimated closing costs
- $103,950
Plus your down payment of $524,000. Legal fees, title insurance, and adjustments are extra and vary by deal.
Mortgage stress test
Lenders qualify you at the greater of your rate plus 2% or 5.25%. You do not pay this rate. It just shows you could still handle payments if rates rose, so aim to stay comfortable at this higher number.
Over the full 25 years
At the end of your 5-year term
- Total paid over the term
- $677,986
- Principal paid down
- $263,798
- Interest paid
- $414,188
- Balance remaining
- $1,832,202
Talk to Team Asgarian about your options
Rates and programs change often. We will connect you with a trusted mortgage professional and build a plan that fits your budget and goals.
Estimates only, not a mortgage quote or pre-approval. Figures use Canadian semi-annual compounding, current minimum down-payment rules, CMHC premium tiers, and Ontario (plus Toronto, when selected) land transfer tax. Actual rates, taxes, insurance, and closing costs vary by lender and property. Confirm every number with your mortgage professional.
Investor snapshot
The suite is real income here: basements rent in Willowdale East (32 of 231 recent detached leases were basement units, around $2,150 a month). The figure above is the whole house on one lease; rented as two units, the suite alone brings about $2,150 a month on top of the upper floors. Permitted use is worth confirming with the city.
Thinking of this home as an investment? We will pull real comparable rents and run the full numbers with you.
Talk about the numbersThe last 37 whole-home leases in Willowdale East signed at a median of $6,365 a month; adjusted to this home for size, beds and baths, and for where rents stood the month each signed, that is $6,221. The gross yield above is on the asking price, before taxes and upkeep; the cap rate is after them. A finished basement or second suite can push real rent above it. Taxes, fees, and vacancy vary by property, and cap rate is before financing.
Helpful resources
All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. For personal, non-commercial use only. Listing courtesy of RE/MAX REALTRON JIM MO REALTY. MLS®/PropTx.