Sales of all property types in May were 1,360, down 16.9 percent from April’s 1,637; and down 53.9 percent compared to May of 2021.
At the same time, active listings (the number of properties available for sale at a given moment during the month, in this case at the end of May) have more than tripled since December 2021. At the end of May, actives sat at 6,183, up 5.4 percent year-over-year, and an increase of 14.8 percent compared to April 2022.
The sales-to-active-listings ratio measures whether the market is balanced (12% to 20%) or favours either buyers (less than 12%) or sellers (greater than 20%). In May, the ratio for Fraser Valley all property types combined was 22 percent, comparable to pre-pandemic conditions in early 2020. By comparison, during the pandemic, the ratio peaked at 92 percent, indicating a strong seller’s market.
“Since March, we’ve seen sales come down with an accompanying increase in inventory, subsequently restoring much-needed balance and cooling our heated market,” said Fraser Valley Real Estate Board President, Sandra Benz. “While still early, it suggests that as we gradually settle into a post-pandemic state of work and life, the big pandemic-era drivers – working from home and record low interest rates – may have run their course.”
In May, MLS® HPI Benchmark prices for all three main property types decreased month-over-month for the first time since September 2019.
“The softening of prices will be welcome news for homebuyers, especially in the face of rising mortgage rates,” said Fraser Valley Real Estate Board CEO, Baldev Gill. “The volatility we’ve witnessed over the past couple of years not only underscores the power of external events to affect the market but, in light of recent trends, the ability of the market itself, to adapt and trigger corrective mechanisms.”
MLS® HPI Benchmark Price Activity*
• Single Family Detached: At $1,712,500, the Benchmark price for an FVREB single-family detached home decreased 2.4 percent compared to April 2022 and increased 26.2 percent compared to May 2021.
• Townhomes: At $918,900, the Benchmark price for an FVREB townhome decreased 1.4 percent compared to April 2022 and increased 31.3 percent compared to May 2021.
• Apartments: At $581,400 the Benchmark price for an FVREB apartment/condo decreased 1.1 percent compared to April 2022 and increased 30.0 percent compared to May 2021.