09/15/2026
Market Update ✨
Home sales continue downward trend to close the summer.
Home sales registered on the MLS® in Metro Vancouver declined 4.6 per cent compared to August last year, marking the end of a summer season that underperformed the summer of 2025.
The Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR) reports that residential sales in the region totalled 1,869 in August 2026, a 4.6 per cent decrease from the 1,959 sales recorded in August 2025. This was 20.7 per cent below the 10-year seasonal average (2,356).
“The soft August sales data suggest the modest downward revisions we recently made to our 2026 forecast were a timely and prudent decision,” said Andrew Lis, GVR chief economist and vice-president data analytics. “The market’s performance matched our expectations for the first four months of 2026, but since May, sales have lagged our January forecast, and we expect that trend to persist to the end of the year.”
Across all detached, attached and apartment property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for August 2026 is 12.3 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 9.6 per cent for detached homes, 15.1 per cent for attached, and 13.7 per cent for apartments.
Analysis of the historical data suggests 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.
“Previously, we’ve noted that inventory levels have receded from their 2025 heights. This gradual decline, paired with slower-than-usual sales, has caused prices to drift downwards across all market segments, with the composite price index now down approximately six per cent year over year,” Lis said.
