08/11/2026
📊 Ottawa — July 2026: Key Takeaways
In July, 1,325 homes were sold, virtually unchanged from a year ago: +0.2%.
July is normally noticeably slower than June, but this year sales declined by only 12.7% month-over-month, compared with a typical decline of approximately 20.7% over the past 10 years. In other words, the summer market proved more resilient than usual.
The average sale price was $683,308, down 1.6% from July 2025, while the median price remained unchanged at $635,000.
The benchmark price was $634,000, just 0.5% lower year-over-year and already 0.3% higher than in June.
That is an important distinction: the market is not showing a broad decline in property values. Instead, we are seeing changes in the mix of properties being sold.
There were 2,530 new listings, down 0.8% from last year.
Active inventory stood at 4,678 properties—still 9.3% higher than a year ago, but already 6.1% lower than in June.
The sales-to-new-listings ratio increased from 48.8% to 52.4%, while months of inventory stood at 3.5 months.
The average property sold for approximately 97.8% of asking price, while median days on market increased from 24 to 28 days.
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🏡 ANALYSIS FOR SELLERS
The main takeaway from July: you can absolutely sell a home in this market—but the market is no longer forgiving of incorrect pricing.
Buyers are there.
In fact, sales were almost identical to July of last year, while the number of new listings declined slightly. That is good news for sellers: supply is no longer increasing at the same pace we saw in the spring.
But there is another side to the story.
Buyers still have choices. There are 4,678 active properties on the market, and the average sold property is achieving approximately 97.8% of asking price.
That means the strategy of “Let’s list high and see what happens” can now cost a seller several weeks on the market and eventually lead to a price reduction.
The single-family segment remains particularly strong.
Detached home sales increased by 5%, inventory is approximately 3.2 months, and the benchmark price actually increased 0.6% year-over-year.
That is a very different picture from condo apartments, where the benchmark price declined by 5.2%.
What I would tell a seller: knowing the “average Ottawa price” is no longer enough.
You need to understand your specific neighbourhood, property type, competition, how many comparable homes are currently listed—and, most importantly, how many are actually selling.
If a home is properly prepared, positioned and priced correctly from Day One, the market can absorb it.
But an overpriced listing becomes obvious very quickly in today’s market.
My assessment for sellers: 🟢 Yes, you can sell. But pricing and strategy matter more than they did a year ago.
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🔑 ANALYSIS FOR BUYERS
For buyers, July may have brought one of the most comfortable combinations we have seen in recent months:
Prices are generally stable, inventory remains elevated, but the market is showing no signs of a dramatic decline.
That means I would not wait for a “big crash” based on July’s numbers.
The overall benchmark price is only 0.5% below last year and has already increased 0.3% compared with June.
The median price has not changed at all: $635,000.
At the same time, buyers still have negotiating power.
Properties are selling below asking on average, median days on market have increased to 28, and inventory remains higher than last year.
That creates room for home inspections, financing conditions, price negotiations and the ability to choose between multiple properties—particularly when a home has been sitting on the market longer than average.
But I would not use the same strategy everywhere in Ottawa.
In the western suburbs, the sales-to-new-listings ratio reached 56.2%; in the South, 55.7%; and in the East, 54.3%.
Good properties in these areas can move considerably faster.
In fact, more than 70% of Ottawa’s sales are now occurring in suburban markets.
Downtown/Centre tells a completely different story.
The sales-to-new-listings ratio there is only 39.6%, while inventory has reached 5.6 months.
That gives buyers considerably more negotiating power.
My assessment for buyers: 🟢 This is a very good time for a strategic home search—not because everything is cheap, but because you have choice and room to negotiate.
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đź’° ANALYSIS FOR INVESTORS
This is where July’s numbers become particularly interesting.
I would not tell an investor:
“Buy any property because the market has fallen.”
It hasn’t.
What I would say instead is that we are seeing a significant difference in strength between market segments—and markets like this can create opportunities for investors.
The weakest segment is apartments.
Here we have:
5.4 months of inventory,
a sales-to-new-listings ratio of only 41%,
a median 41 days on market,
and a benchmark price down 5.2% year-over-year.
This weakness is especially noticeable in central Ottawa, where sales declined 8.3% and inventory reached 5.6 months.
For a typical condo seller, those are uncomfortable numbers.
For a prepared investor, they may represent an opportunity to negotiate.
But I would be very selective.
A lower price alone does not make a condo a good investment.
You have to calculate:
Purchase price → condo fees → property taxes → financing → insurance → realistic rent → vacancy → future resale.
In other words:
Don’t buy the discount. Buy the cash flow and future liquidity.
Townhouses also deserve attention.
Their benchmark price declined significantly—5.1% year-over-year—yet inventory stands at only 3 months, while the sales-to-new-listings ratio has already improved to 55.9%.
To me, that is a particularly interesting signal:
Prices are still reflecting the correction, while demand already appears considerably healthier than in the apartment segment.
My assessment for investors: 🟡 This is not a market for buying indiscriminately. It is a market for selective opportunities.
Townhouses and certain condos where the seller is genuinely motivated may be particularly worth watching.
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🎯 What July Is Really Telling Us About Ottawa
The biggest mistake right now is to say:
“The Ottawa market is going up.”
or
“The Ottawa market is going down.”
July tells a much more nuanced story.
Detached homes: resilient.
Townhouses: prices have corrected, but absorption is improving.
Condos: the weakest segment.
Suburbs: considerably stronger.
Downtown: more inventory and significantly greater negotiating power for buyers.
That is why a real estate decision today should not begin with Ottawa’s average price.
It should begin with this question:
What is happening with your specific type of property, in your specific neighbourhood, and within your specific price range?
That is exactly how I approach the market through The Ottawa Home Strategy™:
Data → Local Analysis → Strategy → Decision.
Source: Official Ottawa Real Estate Board Market Report, published August 6, 2026, covering July 2026 market activity.
