Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver

Home buyer activity increases in October

The Metro Vancouver housing market is experiencing a fall pickup in home sale activity.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 2,858 in October 2019, a 45.4 per cent increase from the 1,966 sales recorded in October 2018, and a 22.5 per cent increase from the 2,333 homes sold in September 2019.

Last month’s sales were 9.8 per cent above the 10-year October sales average.

“Home buyers have more confidence today than we saw in the first half of the year,” says Ashley Smith, REBGV president. “With prices edging down over the last year and interest rates remaining low, hopeful home buyers are becoming more active this fall.”

There were 4,074 detached, attached and apartment homes newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in October 2019. This represents a 16.4 per cent decrease compared to the 4,873 homes listed in October 2018 and a 16.3 per cent decrease compared to September 2019 when 4,866 homes were listed.

The total number of homes currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 12,236, a 5.8 per cent decrease compared to October 2018 (12,984) and a nine per cent decrease compared to September 2019 (13,439).

For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for October 2019 is 23.4 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 17.3 per cent for detached homes, 26.2 per cent for townhomes, and 29 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.

“The recent uptick in home sales is moving us into a more historically typical market,” Smith said. “Both sale and listing activity is trending around our long-term averages in recent months.”

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $992,900. This represents a 6.4 per cent decrease from October 2018, a 1.7 per cent decrease over the past six months, and a 0.2 per cent increase compared to September 2019.

Sales of detached homes in October 2019 reached 938, a 47.3 per cent increase from the 637 detached sales recorded in October 2018. The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,410,500. This represents a 7.5 per cent decrease from October 2018, a 1.3 per cent decrease over the past six months, and a 0.3 per cent increase compared to September 2019.

Sales of apartment homes reached 1,384 in October 2019, a 40.5 per cent increase compared to the 985 sales in October 2018. The benchmark price of an apartment home is $652,500. This represents a 5.9 per cent decrease from October 2018, a 2.2 per cent decrease over the past six months, and a 0.2 per cent increase compared to September 2019.

Attached home sales in October 2019 totalled 536, a 55.8 per cent increase compared to the 344 sales in October 2018. The benchmark price of an attached home is $771,600. This represents a 5.8 per cent decrease from October 2018, a 0.4 per cent decrease over the past six months, and a 0.5 per cent increase compared to September 2019.

Editor’s 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.

Fraser Valley Real Estate Board

Real estate rebound continues for Fraser Valley

SURREY, BC – The demand for Fraser Valley real estate is the strongest it’s been since the spring of 2018.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,592 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in October, a  18.5 per cent increase compared to sales in September 2019, and a 37.8 per cent increase compared to the 1,155 sales in October of last year.

Darin Germyn, President of the Board, says, “Our market started to pick up in the summer and we’ve been steadily improving since. It’s rare to see October home sales in the Fraser Valley outpace April and that’s what we’ve seen this year; our typical spring and fall markets have flipped.

“Consumers are feeling more confident. Buyers have grown accustomed to the government’s regulation changes. Interest rates have thankfully remained stable and we’re likely seeing some pent-up demand from buyers who were holding off earlier this year. October’s beautiful, sunny weather didn’t hurt either.”

There were 7,398 active listings available in the Fraser Valley at the end of October, a decrease of 4.5 per cent compared to October of last year and a decrease of 6.9 per cent compared to September 2019. The Board received 2,383 new listings in October, a 13.9 per cent decrease compared to September 2019’s intake of 2,769 new listings and a 14.2 per cent decrease compared to October of last year.

Germyn adds, “We’re still seeing some hesitation from sellers to list as they continue to watch for further price erosion, however, it’s important to talk to your local market expert because prices in some areas have turned the corner and are starting to creep up again.”

MLS® HPI Benchmark Price Activity

• Single Family Detached: At $952,600, the Benchmark price for a single-family detached home in the Fraser Valley increased 0.3 per cent compared to September 2019 and decreased 3.5 per cent compared to October 2018.

• Townhomes: At $516,000 the Benchmark price for a townhome in the Fraser Valley in the Fraser Valley decreased 0.8 per cent compared to September 2019 and decreased 4.2 per cent compared to October 2018.

• Apartments: At $405,100, the Benchmark price for apartments/condos in the Fraser Valley decreased 0.1 per cent compared to September 2019 and decreased 6.4 per cent compared to October 2018.

For the Fraser Valley region, the average number of days to sell an apartment in October was 34, and 37 for townhomes. Single family detached homes remained on the market for an average of 46 days before selling.