Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver

Metro Vancouver housing market sees summer uptick in sales

Home buyer activity increased to more typical levels in Metro Vancouver throughout the summer months.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 2,231 in August 2019, a 15.7 per cent increase from the 1,929 sales recorded in August 2018, and a 12.7 per cent decrease from the 2,557 homes sold in July 2019.

Last month’s sales were 9.2 per cent below the 10-year August sales average.

“Home sales returned to more historically normal levels in July and August compared to what we saw in the first six months of the year,” said REBGV President Ashley Smith.

There were 3,747 detached, attached and apartment properties newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in August 2019. This represents a 3.5 per cent decrease compared to the 3,881 homes listed in August 2018 and an 18.8 per cent decrease compared to July 2019 when 4,613 homes were listed.

The total number of homes currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 13,396, a 13.3 per cent increase compared to August 2018 (11,824) and a 5.9 per cent decrease compared to July 2019 (14,240).

For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for August 2019 is 16.7 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 12 per cent for detached homes, 18.4 per cent for townhomes, and 21.2 per cent for apartments.

Generally, analysts say downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below 12 per cent for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.

“With more demand from home buyers, the supply of homes listed for sale isn’t accumulating like earlier in the year. These changes are creating more balanced market conditions,” Smith said.

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $993,300. This represents an 8.3 per cent decrease over August 2018 and a 0.2 per cent decrease compared to July 2019.

Sales of detached homes in August 2019 reached 706, a 24.5 per cent increase from the 567 detached sales recorded in August 2018. The benchmark price for detached homes is $1,406,700. This represents a 9.8 per cent decrease from August 2018 and a 0.7 per cent decrease compared to July 2019.

Sales of apartment homes reached 1,116 in August 2019, an 8.9 per cent increase compared to the 1,025 sales in August 2018. The benchmark price of an apartment property is $654,000. This represents a 7.4 per cent decrease from August 2018 and a 0.1 per cent increase compared to July 2019.

Attached home sales in August 2019 totalled 409, a 21.4 per cent increase compared to the 337 sales in August 2018. The benchmark price of an attached unit is $771,000. This represents a 7.8 per cent decrease from August 2018, a 0.2 per cent increase compared to July 2019.

Note

Areas covered by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver include Burnaby, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, South Delta, Squamish, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Whistler.

Contact

Craig Munn
Manager, Communication
Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver
604.730.3146
cmunn@rebgv.org 

Fraser Valley Real Estate Board

Fraser Valley housing market continues to stabilize as sales pick up compared to last year

SURREY, BC – For the second month in a row, home sales in the Fraser Valley surpassed 2018 levels bringing the market closer to historical norms.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,297 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in August, an 11 per cent decrease compared to sales in July 2019, and a 12.3 per cent increase compared to the 1,155 sales in August of last year.

Darin Germyn, President of the Board, observed, “Compared to last year, this August has been quite robust. All property types are selling and we’re seeing a resurgence in the single-family detached market. Across North Delta, Surrey and Langley, sales are up over 25 per cent.

“It’s great to see. We’re returning to a normal, steady market. Our sales, new listings and number of active listings in August were all slightly below the 10-year average.”

There were 8,040 active listings available in the Fraser Valley at the end of August, an increase of 9.6 per cent compared to August of last year and a decrease of 3.6 per cent compared to July 2019. The Board received 2,357 new listings in August, a 15.7 per cent decrease compared to July 2019’s intake of 2,797 new listings and an 8.5 per cent decrease compared to August of last year.

Germyn adds, “Inventory has stopped growing as demand has picked up, which is why we’re also seeing prices moderate. Last month, prices of typical homes in the Fraser Valley were on par with prices from six months ago.”

HPI® Benchmark Price Activity

• Single Family Detached: At $954,100, the Benchmark price for a single-family detached home in the Fraser Valley decreased 0.3 per cent compared to July 2019 and decreased 5.4 per cent compared to August 2018.

• Townhomes: At $521,400, the Benchmark price for a townhome in the Fraser Valley in the Fraser Valley increased 0.1 per cent compared to July 2019 and decreased 4.9 per cent compared to August 2018.

• Apartments: At $409,200, the Benchmark price for apartments/condos in the Fraser Valley decreased 0.1 per cent compared to July 2019 and decreased 7.7 per cent compared to August 2018.

For the Fraser Valley region, the average number of days to sell an apartment in August was 45, and 36 for townhomes. Single family detached homes remained on the market for an average of 44 days before selling.