The Ottawa Citizen and Narcity report on the Ottawa Real Estate Board Newsrelease for the February 2020 Ottawa real estate market.

OTTAWA, March 4, 2020 –  Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,141 residential properties in February through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® System, compared with 1,002 in February 2019, an increase of 13.9 per cent. February’s sales included 835 in the residential-property class, up 10.9 per cent from a year ago, and 306 in the condominium-property category, an increase of 22.9 per cent from February 2019. The five-year average for February unit sales is 1,006.

“After a record-breaking 2019, January saw a minor dip in sales; however, February’s numbers suggest Ottawa’s resale market is heading back into overdrive,” observes Ottawa Real Estate Board President Deborah Burgoyne. “Activity overall has gone up with more listings coming on the market (though still well below the five-year average) and the highest number of February transactions in over 15 years.”

“The average Days on Market (DOM) decreased to 30 days for residential properties, down 12% from last year and condos fell 58% to 19 DOM. Figures for median Days on Market bring those numbers down to 9 DOM (combined). As a matter of fact, in specific highly sought after neighbourhoods, sold signs are going up after only 1-2 days.”

February’s average sale price for a condominium-class property was $349,813, an increase of 21.3 per cent from this time last year while the average sale price of a residential-class property was $563,694, an increase of 21.1 per cent from a year ago. Year to date figures show a 20.8 per cent and a 20.5 per cent increase in average sale prices for residential and condominiums, respectively.*

“These increases are a direct result of the sustained lack of inventory putting upward pressure on prices, and this trend is likely to persist until supply recovers and is bolstered with newly constructed units. Multiple offers have become commonplace in certain pockets of the city, and one of the Board’s statistical indicators shows that approximately 58% of properties are selling for over the asking price, compared to 32% of properties a year ago,” reveals Burgoyne.

The most active price range in the residential market was $400,000 to $549,999, accounting for 39 per cent of the units sold while $250,000 to $399,999 represented the most prevalent price point in the condominium market, accounting for 55 per cent of February’s transactions.

“With the first day of spring only weeks away, I suspect the frenzy of the spring market will be well upon us before the weather catches up,” speculates Burgoyne. “When there is limited inventory, it’s always a good time to sell, and the earlier you get on the market, the more you can differentiate your home. Be sure to entrust your home sale or purchase to an experienced professional.”

In addition to residential and condominium sales, OREB Members assisted clients with renting 498 properties since the beginning of the year.

* The Board cautions that the average sale price can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The calculation of the average sale price is based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold. Price and conditions will vary from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.

The Canadian Real Estate Association’s (CREA) January statistics show that most markets across Canada have entered into seller’s markets. Click here for details and to see the sales to new listings ratio chart for selected cities as well as the percent changes in sales of new listings ratio in selected real estate markets.

As reported in the Ottawa Citizen and the Ottawa Business Journal. Low inventory combined with high demand meant a 19 per cent increase in January 2020 resale over January 2019.

[Read more…]

OTTAWA, February , 2020 –  Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 780 residential properties in January through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® System, compared with 817 in January 2019, a decrease of 4.5 per cent. January’s sales included 558 in the residential-property class, down 8.4 per cent from a year ago, and 222 in the condominium-property category, an increase of 6.7 per cent from January 2019. The five-year average for January unit sales is 713.

“2020 is off to a slower start as the shortage of inventory is now impacting market momentum,” states Ottawa Real Estate Board’s President Deborah Burgoyne. “Although we have higher sales than the five-year average, due to increased condo sales, the persistent supply challenges seem to have finally caught up with us. Furthermore, the number of new listings that came on the market in January (1,082) is well below the average (1,651).”

“We don’t expect this trajectory to change anytime in the foreseeable future,” Burgoyne acknowledges. “The supply chain needs to be buffered at all points along the continuum from first-time and move-up buyers, to downsizing boomers as well as renters. They are all interconnected links in the housing chain.”

January’s average sale price for a condominium-class property was $338,077, an increase of 19.1 per cent from last year while the average sale price of a residential-class property was $516,229, an increase of 19.3 per cent from a year ago. Compared to last month, however, the average price for residential-class properties increased by a modest 3.2 per cent and the average price for condominium-class units was 8.8 per cent higher.*

The Board’s Housing Price Index (HPI), which is another data point of price trends based on the specific housing stock in neighbourhoods, indicates that the overall benchmark price for Ottawa has increased by approximately 13.75% from last year.

The most active price range in the condominium market was $200,000 to $349,999, accounting for 55 per cent of the units sold while $400,000 to $549,999 represented the most prevalent price point in the residential market, accounting for 40 per cent of January’s transactions.

“The fact is Ottawa’s market has always been steadily increasing at a reasonable pace and is sustainable. If buyers are waiting for prices to decline, based on historical trends, it’s not likely,” Burgoyne cautions. “Although supply may pick up eventually—if you need to get into the market, don’t wait. It’s a challenging market for everyone. Hire a trusted professional to ensure you are protected and well informed in your home buying or selling transaction.”

In addition to residential sales, OREB Members assisted clients with renting 243 properties in January 2020 compared with 169 in January 2019.

* The Board cautions that the average sale price can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The calculation of the average sale price is based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold. Price and conditions will vary from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.

James Bagnall of the Ottawa Citizen has put together a post on the state of real estate in Ottawa. He addresses the low inventory, employment growth and the effect on the market.

Royal Lepage reports the results on fourth quarter of 2019 for real estate across Canada and forecasts the real estate market for 2020 for Canada. Ottawa Business Journal reports on the Ottawa portion of the Royal Lepage real estate statistics.