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Home sellers active, bring much-needed inventory to housing market

While Metro Vancouver1 home sellers appeared somewhat hesitant in January, new listings rose 31 per cent year-over-year in February, bringing a significant number of newly listed properties to the market.

Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR)2 reports that residential sales3 in the region totalled 2,070 in February 2024, a 13.5 per cent increase from the 1,824 sales recorded in February 2023. This was 23.3 per cent below the 10-year seasonal average (2,699).

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Sales, listings continue to pick up heading into spring

SURREY, BC – Home sales in the Fraser Valley posted a second consecutive bump in February as new listings continue to rise and trend slightly above the 10-year seasonal average.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board recorded 1,235 transactions on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in February, a 32 per cent increase over January but still 21 per cent below the 10-year average for sales in the region. New listings increased to 2,797 in February, up 18 per cent from January and 4 per cent above
the 10-year average.

“There is somewhat of a buzz in the market right now,” said Narinder Bains, Chair of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “We are seeing new listings come onto the market and REALTORS® continue to see more traffic at open houses, however buyers are still exercising caution. We aren’t out of the woods just yet, but
the signs are pointing to a further increase in activity as we head into spring.”

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Home sales across Metro Vancouver’s housing market off to strong start in 2024

While the Metro Vancouver1 market ended 2023 in balanced market territory, conditions in January began shifting back in favour of sellers as the pace of newly listed properties did not keep up with the volume of home sales.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential sales2 in the region totalled 1,427 in January 2024, a 38.5 per cent increase from the 1,030 sales recorded in January 2023. This was 20.2 per cent below the 10-year seasonal average (1,788).

“It’s hard to believe that January sales figures came in so strong after such a quiet December, which saw many buyers and sellers delaying major decisions. If sellers don’t step off the sidelines soon, the competition among buyers could tilt the market back into sellers’ territory as the available inventory struggles to keep pace with demand.”

Andrew Lis, REBGV director of economics and data analytics
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Signs of stability in Fraser Valley housing market

SURREY, BC – The Fraser Valley real estate market showed signs of recovery in January as home sales rose after six consecutive months of decline, and new listings more than doubled.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board recorded 938 transactions on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in January, a 12 per cent increase over December and below the 10-year average for sales in the region.

At 2,368, new listings increased 151 per cent in January, rebounding strongly from the seasonal lull seen in December. This is the largest month-over-month percentage increase in new listings in five years.

“With January sales on the rise, we are seeing hopeful signs that optimism is returning to the market,” said Narinder Bains, Chair of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “Anticipating that we may be at the end of the Bank of Canada rate hike cycle, it appears that more buyers are considering re-entering the market as we are starting to see more traffic at open houses.”

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Housing market resilient in 2023, ends year in balanced territory

Metro Vancouver’s1 housing market closed out 2023 with balanced market conditions, but the year-end totals mask a story of surprising resilience in the face of the highest borrowing costs seen in over a decade.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential sales2 in the region totalled 26,249 in 2023, a 10.3 per cent decrease from the 29,261 sales recorded in 2022, and a 41.5 per cent decrease from the 44,884 sales in 2021.

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Fraser Valley closes out 2023 with the lowest annual sales recorded in 10 years

SURREY, BC – High interest rates kept a lid on sales and listings in the Fraser Valley in 2023, while holding
year-over-year price growth to low single digits.

The Fraser Valley region ended the year with 14,713 sales recorded on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®),
a decline of four per cent over 2022 and 23 per cent below the 10-year average. New listings in the Fraser
Valley were also at a 10-year low, at 29,610, eight per cent below the 10-year average.

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March shatters monthly sales and new listings records in the Fraser Valley

SURREY, BC – Fraser Valley real estate hit two historical highs in March, setting records for both sales and new listings processed in one month since the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board’s (FVREB) inception in 1921.

In March, the FVREB processed 3,329 residential and commercial sales on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), an increase of 131 per cent compared to March 2020 and 18 per cent more than were processed in February. The previous record of 3,006 sales was set in March of 2016.

Larry Anderson, President of the Board, said of this month’s statistics, “This market is uncharted territory for Fraser Valley real estate. The surprising strength of the economy, the influence of the pandemic and a lack of inventory of all property types has created unprecedented demand for housing in our region.

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March home sales and new listings set records in Metro Vancouver

Residential property sales in Metro Vancouver

Home buyer and seller activity reached unprecedented levels across Metro Vancouver* in March.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 5,708 in March 2021, a 126.1 per cent increase from the 2,524 sales recorded in March 2020, and a 53.2 per cent increase from the 3,727 homes sold in February 2021.

Last month’s sales were 72.2 per cent above the 10-year March sales average and is the highest monthly sales total ever recorded in the region.”In March, residents bought and listed homes across our region at levels not seen before. This surge in activity is increasing upward pressure on prices. We’re beginning to see double-digit price gains for single-family homes and townhomes over the last 12 months.”Taylor Biggar, REBGV Chair

Demand was most pronounced in rural and suburban areas. Delta – South saw a 195.8 per cent increase in sales over 2020 – the largest increase in Metro Vancouver. This was followed by Whistler, which experienced a 194.7 per cent increase, and Squamish, which saw a 188.6 per cent increase in sales.

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Fraser Valley real estate market full steam ahead in January; another record-setter for property sales

SURREY, BC – In a month that is usually one of the quietest in real estate, Fraser Valley’s market continued at a breakneck pace, producing the strongest January sales on record as well as a modest uptick in new listings.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed a total of 1,718 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in January 2021, an increase of 76 per cent compared to January 2020 and 18 per cent fewer then were processed in December 2020. Sales in January set a new, record high for the month; 72 per cent above the 10-year average, and 28 per cent higher than the previous record of 1,338 sales set in January 2016.

“Buyers are very motivated right now,” said Chris Shields, President of the Board, “Lending rates are the lowest they’ve ever been, your housing dollar goes further in the Fraser Valley and we’ve seen a societal shift in the last year in how people value their homes. People are asking us to find them more space.

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