News

Spring market kicks-off with slim supply in March

SURREY, BC – While sales reached slightly above the ten-year average for the month, a lack of sufficient inventory in the Fraser Valley continued to put pressure on homebuyers in March.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,664 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in March, a decrease of 24.8 percent compared to the 2,213 sales in March of last year, and a 20.1 percent increase compared to the 1,385 sales in February 2018. The ten-year average for sales in the Fraser Valley in March is 1,658 transactions.

Of the 1,664 sales processed last month, 410 were townhouses and 460 were apartments, together representing 52 percent of all transactions in March.

Active inventory for the Fraser Valley finished at 4,796 listings last month, increasing 10.5 percent month-over-month, and decreasing 0.2 percent when compared to March 2017.

“We continue to see demand capped-off due to an inadequate amount of supply,” said John Barbisan, Board President. “March is typically when we see our market kick into gear, but we need to see higher levels of new listings coming in and greater overall inventory if we want more homebuyers to find success in the Valley.”

The Board received 2,865 new listings in March, a 24.9 percent increase from February 2018’s 2,293 new listings and a 6.7 percent decrease compared to March 2017.

“On the plus side, despite a tighter market pricing has remained relatively stable for our region. Talk to your REALTOR® who can help show you the best options at the price level you’re looking for.”

For the Fraser Valley region the average number of days to sell an apartment in March was 13, and 16 for townhomes. Single-family detached homes remained on the market for an average of 30 days before selling.

HPI® Benchmark Price Activity

• Single Family Detached: At $1,001,400, the Benchmark price for a single-family detached home in the Valley increased 0.9 percent compared to February 2018, and increased 15.2 percent compared to March 2017.

• Townhomes: At $541,800, the Benchmark price for a townhome in the Fraser Valley increased 2 percent compared to February 2018, and increased 24.9 percent compared to March 2017.

• Apartments: At $440,400, the Benchmark price for apartments/condos in the Fraser Valley increased 4.3 percent compared to February 2018, and increased 48 percent compared to March 2017.

Full Stats Package – http://www.fvreb.bc.ca/statistics/Package201803.pdf