February listing data show a continued reluctance among prospective home sellers to engage in Metro Vancouver’s* housing market, leading to below-average sales activity. With sales remaining well-below historical norms, the number of available homes for sale in the region have continued inching upwards.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 1,808 in February 2023, a 47.2 per cent decrease from the 3,424 sales recorded in February 2022, and a 76.9 per cent increase from the 1,022 homes sold in January 2023.

Last month’s sales were 33 per cent below the 10-year February sales average.

“It’s hard to sell what you don’t have, and with new listing activity remaining among the lowest in recent history, sales are struggling to hit typical levels for this point in the year,” said Andrew Lis, REBGV’s director, economics and data analytics. “On the plus side for prospective buyers, the below-average sales activity is allowing inventory to accumulate, which is keeping market conditions from straying too deeply into sellers’ market territory, particularly in the more affordably priced segments.”

There were 3,467 detached, attached and apartment properties newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in February 2023. This represents a 36.6 per cent decrease compared to the 5,471 homes listed in February 2022 and a 5.2 per cent increase compared to January 2023 when 3,297 homes were listed.

The total number of homes currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 7,868, a 16.7 per cent increase compared to February 2022 (6,742) and a 5.2 per cent increase compared to January 2023 (7,478).

“While we continue to expect home price trends to show year-over-year declines for a few more months, current data and market activity suggest pricing is firming up. In fact, some leading indicators suggest we may see modest price increases this spring, particularly if sales activity increases and mortgage rates hold steady,” Lis said. “In the somewhat unusual market environment we find ourselves in right now with higher mortgage rates, fewer sales, and inventory that is inching higher but remains far from abundant, working with a Realtor who understands your local market conditions and has experience navigating challenging markets is paramount.”

For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for February 2023 is 23 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 16.8 per cent for detached homes, 30.1 per cent for townhomes, and 25.8 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 MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,123,400. This represents a 9.3 per cent decrease over February 2022 and a 1.1 per cent increase compared to January 2023.

Sales of detached homes in February 2023 reached 514, a 49.1 per cent decrease from the 1,010 detached sales recorded in February 2022. The benchmark price for detached properties is $1,813,100. This represents a 12 per cent decrease from February 2022 and a 0.7 per cent increase compared to January 2023.

Sales of apartment homes reached 928 in February 2023, a 49.9 per cent decrease compared to the 1,854 sales in February 2022. The benchmark price of an apartment property is $732,200. This represents a three per cent decrease from February 2022 and a 1.6 per cent increase compared to January 2023.

Attached home sales in February 2023 totalled 366, a 34.6 per cent decrease compared to the 560 sales in February 2022. The benchmark price of an attached unit is $1,038,500. This represents a 6.3 per cent decrease from February 2022 and a 1.8 per cent increase compared to January 2023.

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Provided by: REBGV

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We thank Hafez Panju for his continued support to kidney patients across BC & the Yukon. Since 2008, Hafez has donated $37,700 to the Kidney Foundation, through contributing a percentage of his sales commission, very generously to the BC & Yukon Branch.

Kidney disease is a complex and life‐altering condition that continues to grow at an alarming rate, with no cure. 1 in 10 Canadians (4 million people) now have kidney disease and millions more are at risk with leading causes such as diabetes and heart disease also on the rise.

It is thanks to dedicated supporters like Hafez, who make it possible for the Kidney Foundation, BC & Yukon Branch to provide vital programs and services to patients and their caregivers, including those who are vulnerable or disproportionately impacted by kidney disease such as individuals of South Asian, Asian or Indigenous descent.

We work hard to ease the physical, emotional, and financial burden that comes with a kidney disease diagnosis.

We would like to thank Hafez Panju for his on-going support.

With sincere appreciation,

Rylee Elfert
Philanthropy Officer
The Kidney Foundation, BC & Yukon Branch

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 3,047 residential unit sales were recorded in Multiple Listing Service® (MLS® ) systems in January 2023, a decrease of 50.3 per cent from January 2022. The average MLS® residential price in BC in 2023 has seen a dip to $872,934, down 16.1% compared to the average price of over $1 million in January 2022, which was recorded near the peak of the market. The total sales dollar volume was $2.7 billion, representing a 58.3% decrease from the same time in the previous year.

“Provincial sales are off to a slow start in 2023 as activity continues to be weighed down by high borrowing costs,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “While average prices have flattened out in many markets over the past few months, yearover-year measures reflect the decline that occurred from the peak in 2022, as well as a marked shift in the composition of sales away from more expensive homes.”

The total number of active listings has significantly increased compared to the record low level recorded at the start of 2022. However, at just under 22,000 total listings, the inventory of homes for sales remains well below normal for January as a scarcity of new listings in many markets has muted the impact of slow sales activity. 

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Provided By: BCREA

Buyers now face a severe lack of choice as falling prices deter some sellers from listing their property

A lot can change in a year. It's a hard lesson homebuyers and sellers are learning as they navigate an upheaval in the housing and mortgage markets that virtually no one saw coming.

While some might have the luxury to wait until the market stabilizes, certain life events and changes in one's financial situation, known in the real estate industry as the "Four D's" - death, divorce, debt and downsizing – mean the pressure is on for some buyers and sellers who need to relocate.

"Those four factors mean that there is always going to be some base level of transactions that occur," said Scott Ingram, a realtor with Century 21 Regal Realty.

"There are always people that will need to transact (or at least are a lot more motivated to do so)."

The more motivated a person is to buy or sell, the greater the importance of having a real estate agent and mortgage professional who know the market, your goals and will work in your best interests, he says.

The rapid jump in interest rates and the fact that home prices don't always go up might be familiar territory to older buyers and sellers, but these are generally new phenomena to younger Canadians. The last time interest rates were this high was in 2008.

"This recent rate-hiking cycle should be a subtle reminder that the world can be an unpredictable place and you should always be cautious about buying too much house," said Steve Saretsky, a realtor at Vancouver-based Oakwyn Realty.

Avoid bidding wars where possible

Buyers are also now facing a severe lack of choice as falling prices deter some sellers from listing their property. December marked the lowest level on record for new listings, according to the latest data from the Canadian Real Estate Association.

"New listings remain very scarce but buyers should not be panicking and competing in multiple offers. There will be more listings coming in the spring market and interest rates will 

remain elevated throughout 2023, there is no reason to rush and buy. Get a house that you're going to be happy in for the next 8-10 years," Saretsky said.

Meanwhile, Nasma Ali, a broker and founder of One Group, agrees that getting into a bidding war is not in the best interest of a buyer, especially if they're under pressure to find a property.

The best way to avoid competition is to consider homes that don't have professional staging or have poor photos in the listing, she says, and to "use your imagination to look beyond the furniture and funky wall colours. Chances are most buyers aren't and the seller has been growing somewhat desperate."

Provided By: Michelle Zadikian | senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada

Image Provided By: Mark Blinch | REUTERS (CANADA BUSINESS)

The once bright outlook for the economy, with visions of a second “roaring 20s” fueled by pent-up demand and accumulated savings, has given way to uncertainty and the gloom of a potential recession this year. The shift in outlook was brought on by the monetary policy response to multi-decade high inflation as the Bank of Canada tightened its policy rate at its fastest pace since the 1990s. While we are still waiting on a broader economic downturn, the housing market immediately felt the impact of elevated interest rates.

Although the annual level of home sales in 2022 was near its long-term average, that measure masks a radical shift in the market that coincided with the rise of interest rates. Home sales activity declined sharply through the spring and summer months and sales are now trending close to 25 per cent below normal. We anticipate that home sales will remain slow in 2023 as the market continues to be constrained by high mortgage rates and absorbs the impact of a slowing economy. However, the housing market historically tends to lead the business cycle and the onset of recession generally coincides with the beginning of a recovery in the housing market and a substantial rise in activity the following year as the economy heals and the impact of falling mortgage rates unlocks demand. The recovery will be given a further boost as Canada looks to welcome a record 1.5 million new immigrants over the next three years. As such, we expect activity to pick up later this year and strengthen through 2024. That said, sales will be low this year at a forecasted 75,150 units before rising to 93,025 units next year.

With sales down sharply, inventories have accumulated from the severely depleted level at the start of 2022 but remain low by historical standards. However, the abrupt shift in market conditions has meant that prices have come down despite low inventory, falling from peak levels through the spring before stabilizing toward the end of last year. While we expect MLS® average prices to trend relatively flat this year, they will be lower than peak values of 2022. Consequently, year-over-year comparisons will register negative for much of 2023, which will likely result in negative annual price growth even if monthly prices begin to recover as expected later this year.

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Provided by: BCREA

Inventory remains low in Metro Vancouver* while home sales dipped well below monthly historical averages in January.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 1,022 in January 2023, a 55.3 per cent decrease from the 2,285 sales recorded in January 2022, and a 21.1 per cent decrease from the 1,295 homes sold in December 2022.

Last month’s sales were 42.9 per cent below the 10-year January sales average.

“Due to seasonality, market activity is quieter in January. With mortgage rates having risen so rapidly over the last year, we anticipated sales this month would be among the lowest in recent history,” said Andrew Lis, REBGV’s director, economics and data analytics. “Looking forward, however, the Bank of Canada has said that it will pause further rate increases as long as the incoming economic data continues to support this policy stance. This should provide more certainty for home buyers and sellers in the market.”

There were 3,297 detached, attached and apartment properties newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in January 2023. This represents a 20.9 per cent decrease compared to the 4,170 homes listed in January 2022 and a 173.4 per cent increase compared to December 2022 when 1,206 homes were listed.

The total number of homes currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 7,478, a 32.1 per cent increase compared to January 2022 (5,663) and a 1.3 per cent increase compared to December 2022 (7,384).

For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for January 2023 is 13.7 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 10.2 per cent for detached homes, 13.4 per cent for townhomes, and 16.7 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.

“We know the peak for prices in our market occurred last spring. Over the coming months, yearover-year data comparisons will show larger price declines than we’ve been reporting up to now,” said Lis. “It’s important to understand that year-over-year calculations are backward- looking. These price declines already happened, and what we are seeing today is that prices may have found a footing, even if it’s an awkward one sandwiched between low inventory and higher borrowing costs.”

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,111,400. This represents a 6.6 per cent decrease over January 2022 and a 0.3 per cent decrease compared to December 2022.

Sales of detached homes in January 2023 reached 295, a 52.6 per cent decrease from the 622 detached sales recorded in January 2022. The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,801,300. This represents a 9.1 per cent decrease from January 2022 and a 1.2 per cent decrease compared to December 2022.

Sales of apartment homes reached 571 in January 2023, a 56.6 per cent decrease compared to the 1,315 sales in January 2022. The benchmark price of an apartment home is $720,700. This represents a 1.1 per cent decrease from January 2022 and a one per cent increase compared to December 2022.

Attached home sales in January 2023 totalled 156, a 55.2 per cent decrease compared to the 348 sales in January 2022. The benchmark price of an attached home is $1,020,400. This represents a three per cent decrease from January 2022 and a 0.8 per cent increase compared to December 2022.

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Provided by: REBGV

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Vancouver, BC – January 12, 2023. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that 80,874 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in 2022, a 35.2 per cent decline from a record 124,788 units sold in 2021. The annual average MLS® residential price in BC was $996,878, a 7.5 per cent increase from $927,513 recorded the previous year. Total sales dollar volume was $80.6 billion, a 30.3 per cent decline from 2021.

A total of 3,490 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in December 2022, a decrease of 49.4 per cent from December 2021. The average MLS® residential price in BC was $911,753 an 11.5 per cent decrease from $1.03 million recorded in December 2021. Total sales dollar volume was $3.2 billion, a 55.2 per cent decline from the same time last year.

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Proviced by: BCREA