The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) saw a 23.9% decrease in residential unit sales in comparison from April 2016 to April 2017 (9,865 units recorded by MLS®). Comparing to the same period last year, total sales dollar volume was $7.19 Billion which is a 25.4% decrease and the average MLS® residential price in BC has seen a 2% bringing it down to $728,955.
“BC home sales are on an upward trend this spring, led by a sharp increase in consumer demand in the Lower Mainland,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.
Home inventories are at a 20-year low. Currently, the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of home sales has seen a significant increase in relation to the five-year SAAR for April. (89,000 to 106,000 units). SAAR is a rate adjustment that attempts to remove seasonal variations in the data.
There was a 17% decrease in the supply of homes available for sale in comparison to April 2016 figures. Adjusted for seasonal variations, active residential listings have seen a 50% decline since 2012 and are now at their lowest level in over 20 years. Due to the imbalance between supply and demand, demand is driving home prices higher in most regions.
Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was down 31.8 per cent to $21.3 billion, when compared with the same period in 2016. Residential unit sales declined 25.0 per cent to 30,757 units, while the average MLS® residential price was down 9.2 per cent to $692,220.
Source: British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA)
The data relating to real estate on this website comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of either the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV), the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) or the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB). Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS® logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by either the REBGV, the FVREB or the CADREB which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of either the REBGV, the FVREB or the CADREB.