Ottawa Real Estate: Market Snapshot August 2018

We continue to see a healthy real estate market in Ottawa, with inventory levels are improving but still lower than we've seen in previous years.  Have questions? Looking for specific neighbourhood stats? Message us, we’d love to help! Info@teamrealty.ca 

Summer Ends, Active Real Estate Market Continues…

September 6, 2018

• Ottawa Real Estate Board member sold 1,586 residential properties in August 2018, compared with 1,535 in August 2017, an increase of 3.3 per cent. The five-year average for August sales is 1,417. August’s sales included 1,188 in the residential property class, relatively unchanged from a year ago, and 398 in the condominium property class, an increase of 10.9 percent from August 2017.

“Our real estate market has had a busier than usual summer season, and we are shaping up for a busy fall period as well,” affirms Ottawa Real Estate Board President Ralph Shaw. “An active market is likely to be the new normal for the foreseeable future,” he speculates.

• The average sale price of a residential-class property sold in August in the Ottawa area was $433,684, an increase of 3.1 per cent over August 2017. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $276,720, an increase of 2.2 per cent from August 2017.*

“Ottawa continues to be an affordable place to buy property and is experiencing sensible price growth more in line with inflation. Our inventory is very low (18% off last year’s inventory level) but other than some pockets of the city, prices have not yet been significantly affected,” Shaw reflects.  “The reason we aren’t yet supply problematic, like some other markets, is that we have the ability to expand in all directions — stretching the buyer’s purchasing power. Within an easy 30-minute commute, there are surrounding communities with reasonably priced single-family homes and all the fundamental needs supplied within these neighbourhoods.”

Most Active Price Point (Residential):

• $300,000 to $449,999  accounting for 45% of Ottawa Real Estate Board's home sales.
• The $500,000 to $750,000 price range represented a robust 22 % of residential home sales in the Ottawa area
• Between $175,000 to $274,999 was August’s most active price point in the condominium market, accounting for almost 56% of the units sold.

“The demand for condos continues to be a driving factor in the Ottawa real estate market, likely due to the lack of rental availability. This is helping ease the oversupply of condos we experienced in the past,” Shaw points out. “Hopefully this will encourage developers to move forward with their stalled condominium projects, especially if the light rail is a go in November.”

* 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.