Buyers Remain Hesitant as Inventory Builds

May 2025 saw inventory levels across Metro Vancouver reach another ten-year high, while home sales registered on the MLS® remained muted.

Residential Sales Statistics

The Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR) reports that residential sales in the region totalled 2,228 in May 2025, an 18.5% decrease from the 2,733 sales recorded in May 2024. This was also 30.5% below the 10-year seasonal average of 3,206.

“While there are emerging signs that sales activity might be turning a corner, sales in May were below the ten-year seasonal average, which suggests that some buyers are still sitting on the sidelines or are being especially selective,” said Andrew Lis, GVR’s director of economics and data analytics.

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Canadian real GDP rose by 0.1 per cent in March, after declining by 0.2 per cent in February. Goods-producing sectors rose 0.2 per cent, while service-producing industries increased by 0.1 per cent.

Sectoral growth was led by:

  • Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (2.2 per cent)
  • Construction (0.5 per cent)
  • Retail trade (0.8 per cent)

Output for the offices of real-estate agents and brokers fell by 4.5 per cent month-over-month. Preliminary estimates suggest that real GDP by industry increased by 0.1 per cent in April.

Q1 2025 Performance

Real GDP increased by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, registering an annualized growth rate of 2.2 per cent.

Household spending growth slowed to 0.3 per cent, leading to…

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Vancouver, BC – May 14, 2025. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that 6,453 residential unit sales were recorded in Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems in April 2025, down 14.6 per cent from April 2024. The average MLS® residential price in BC in April 2025 was down 6.1 per cent at $942,884 compared to $1,003,638 in April 2024.

The total sales dollar volume was $6.1 billion, a 19.7 per cent decrease from the same time the previous year. BC MLS® unit sales were 27 per cent lower than the ten-year April average.

“Regional activity continued to diverge in April with more expensive regions experiencing a larger drop in sales activity,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “Uncertainty regarding trade and…

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Abundant Listings and Stable Prices Not Enough to Drive April Sales in the Fraser Valley

SURREY, BC – Home buyers in the Fraser Valley are enjoying a selection of homes for sale not seen in more than a decade. The growing inventory of more than 10,000 active listings means, in many cases, that buyers have time, selection, and price negotiation on their side.

“There’s definitely a surge of activity in the market — buyers are out viewing homes and attending open houses,” said Tore Jacobsen, Chair of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “What’s noticeable in the current market is the level of choice. A buyer might see a home they like and then have an opportunity to tour five or ten more just like it, without feeling rushed to make an immediate…

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Spring Market Brings Abundance of Opportunity for Buyers

VANCOUVER, BC – May 2, 2025 – The slowdown in home sales registered on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver* that began early this year continued in April, with sales down nearly 24 per cent year-over-year.

The Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR) reports that residential sales in the region totalled 2,163 in April 2025, a 23.6 per cent decrease from the 2,831 sales recorded in April 2024. This was 28.2 per cent below the 10-year seasonal average (3,014).

“From a historical perspective, the slower sales we’re now seeing stand out as unusual, particularly against a backdrop of significantly improved borrowing conditions, which typically helps to boost sales,” said Andrew Lis,…

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Pent-up Demand Builds as Tariff Uncertainty Drives Buyers to the Sideline

BCREA 2025 Second Quarter Housing Forecast

Vancouver, BC – April 30, 2025

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2025 Second Quarter Housing Forecast today.

Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in BC are forecast to fall 1.1 per cent to 73,650 units this year. In 2026, MLS® residential sales are forecast to move slightly higher, rising 8.8 per cent to 80,150 units.

“Hopes for a return to normalcy in the BC housing market were swiftly dashed this year, upended by a pointless and mutually destructive trade war,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “While there is significant pent-up demand in the market,…

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Canadian prices, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose 2.3 per cent on a year-over-year basis in March, down from a 2.6 per cent increase in February. Month-over-month, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI was unchanged in March.

The overall slowdown in headline CPI is largely driven by lower gasoline prices, with the CPI excluding gasoline rising by 2.5 per cent in March.

Shelter price growth continues to cool, as mortgage interest costs were up 7.9 per cent, marking the nineteenth consecutive month of deceleration. Similarly, rent was up 5.1 per cent year-over-year in March, down from 5.8 per cent in February.

In British Columbia, consumer prices rose 2.6 per cent year-over-year, down from 3.0 per cent in February.

The Bank…

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The Bank of Canada held its overnight policy rate at 2.75 per cent this morning. In the statement accompanying the decision, the Bank noted that pervasive uncertainty makes it unusually challenging to project GDP growth and inflation in Canada.

The Bank sees two potential scenarios for the Canadian economy:

  • High but limited tariffs that temporarily weaken growth
  • A protracted trade war that causes both a full recession and inflation to rise above 3 per cent

The Bank is already seeing signs of a slower economy due to the impact of uncertainty on consumer and business confidence. However, it expects tariff-driven supply chain disruptions will put upward pressure on prices later this year.

Perhaps most importantly, the Bank ended its…

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Date: April 14, 2025

Canadian housing starts fell by 3 per cent to 214,155 units in March at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). Compared to the same month last year, starts were down 12 per cent.

Single-detached housing starts remained flat month-over-month at 49,667 units, while multi-family and other starts declined by 4 per cent to 164,484 units (SAAR).

British Columbia Highlights

In British Columbia, total housing starts rose by 5 per cent month-over-month to 31,145 units (SAAR), covering all regions across the province.

In urban areas with populations of 10,000 or more:

  • Single-detached starts increased by 3 per cent to 3,866 units.
  • Multi-family starts grew by 6 per cent to 25,302 units.

Overall, British…

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Tariffs, Economic Uncertainty Stall Spring Market in the Fraser Valley


Date: March 2025

SURREY, BC - March home sales in the Fraser Valley remained nearly 50 per cent below the 10-year average — making for the slowest start to the spring market in more than 15 years.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board recorded 1,036 sales in March, up 13 per cent from February, but still 26 per cent below sales recorded this time last year.

Following a decline on the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in February, new listings increased 22 per cent in March to 3,800. Overall inventory is at a decade-high level, with 9,219 active listings, 49 per cent above March 2024 and 59 per cent above the 10-year seasonal average.

“If not for the…

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