Easing home prices help lift sales in August
VANCOUVER, B.C. – September 3, 2025
Easing prices brought more Metro Vancouver* homebuyers off the sidelines in August, with home sales on the MLS® up nearly three per cent from August last year.
Headline Numbers
- Total residential sales (Aug 2025): 1,959 (+2.9% vs. 1,904 in Aug 2024)
- Sales vs. 10-year seasonal average: 19.2% below (avg: 2,424)
- New listings (Aug 2025): 4,225 (+2.8% vs. 4,109 in Aug 2024)
- New listings vs. 10-year seasonal average: 1.3% above (avg: 4,172)
- Total active listings: 16,242 (+17.6% vs. 13,812 in Aug 2024; 36.9% above 10-year seasonal avg of 11,862)
Economist Commentary
“The August sales figures add further confirmation that sales activity across Metro Vancouver appears to be recovering, albeit somewhat slowly, from the challenging first half of the year,” said Andrew Lis, GVR’s director of economics and data analytics. “Sales in the detached and attached segments are up over ten per cent from last August, which suggests buyers shopping in more expensive price points are re-entering the market in a meaningful way.”
Sales-to-Active Listings Ratio
| Property Type | Sales-to-Active Ratio (Aug 2025) |
|---|---|
| All Residential | 12.4% |
| Detached | 9.3% |
| Attached | 15.8% |
| Apartments | 14% |
Historical guide: Downward price pressure often occurs when the ratio stays below 12% for a sustained period, while upward pressure often occurs when it surpasses 20% for several months.
Pricing Trend
“Prices have eased around two per cent since the start of the year and are down about one per cent month over month in August, signalling that sellers have been willing to lower price expectations,” Lis said. “As sellers’ and buyers’ expectations have become more aligned, transaction volume has picked up. Newly listed properties remain in line with their ten-year seasonal average however, which when paired with increasing sales activity, is likely to diminish the available inventory. This also means the window of plentiful opportunity for buyers may soon begin closing if these trends continue.”
MLS® HPI composite benchmark (All Residential, Metro Vancouver): $1,150,400 (−3.8% vs. Aug 2024; −1.3% vs. Jul 2025)
By Property Type
Detached Homes
- Sales (Aug 2025): 575 (+13% vs. 509 in Aug 2024)
- Benchmark price: $1,950,300 (−4.8% vs. Aug 2024; −1.2% vs. Jul 2025)
Apartments
- Sales (Aug 2025): 956 (−5.5% vs. 1,012 in Aug 2024)
- Benchmark price: $734,400 (−4.4% vs. Aug 2024; −1.3% vs. Jul 2025)
Attached (Townhomes)
- Sales (Aug 2025): 409 (+10.5% vs. 370 in Aug 2024)
- Benchmark price: $1,079,600 (−3.5% vs. Aug 2024; −1.8% vs. Jul 2025)
Source - GVR
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