A total of 394 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this November, a 2.6 per cent increase from the 384 properties sold in November 2022 and a 3.2 per cent decrease from October 2023. Sales of condominiums were down 11.8 per cent from November 2022 with 120 units sold. Sales of single family homes increased by 6 per cent from November 2022 with 193 sold.

“It’s unsurprising to see this slight relaxation of sales in the market,” said Victoria Real Estate Board Chair Graden Sol. “Given the current interest rate environment, our sales numbers are lower than long term averages, but the pattern of seasonality within those lower numbers is what we would expect for this part of the year. We have seen a healthy twenty-five per cent increase in the number of listings on market compared to last year and this is positive news as we recover from that long-term trend of very low inventory.”

There were 2,644 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of November 2023, a decrease of 4.1 per cent compared to the previous month of October and a 25.2 per cent increase from the 2,111 active listings for sale at the end of November 2022. 

“The longer we are in balanced market conditions, the easier transitions for buyers and sellers become,” adds Sol. “Local people who planned to sell and move within the Greater Victoria area may have hesitated to list their homes back when record low inventory meant less choice when they became buyers. Now that we see some balance in the market, these people have more inventory to pick from and may feel more confident listing their existing home. And of course, all buyers are having better experiences with more time and more choice. We always anticipate a seasonal reduction in activity over winter, but if you are contemplating a move in the new year, now is an excellent time to consult with your favourite REALTOR® to create your strategy.”

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in November 2022 was $1,248,600. The benchmark value for the same home in November 2023 increased by 3 per cent to $1,286,400, which is down from October’s value of $1,305,900. The MLS® HPI benchmark value for a condominium in the Victoria Core area in November 2022 was $568,400, while the benchmark value for the same condominium in November 2023 increased by 1.6 per cent to $577,400, which is down from the October value of $585,600.

Victoria real estate market needs better mix of housing supply to help restore balance

A total of 544 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this August, 13.8 per cent more than the 478 properties sold in August 2022 and an 8.6 per cent decrease from July 2023. Sales of condominiums were up 10.8 per cent from August 2022 with 164 units sold. Sales of single family homes increased 9.6 per cent from August 2022 with 273 sold.

“Real estate activity this month reflected what we’d expect to see in an average late summer housing market,” said Victoria Real Estate Board Chair Graden Sol. “The beginning of the month was reasonably slow, and sales ramped up through the last half of the month. The brisk sales pace leading up to the end of August may very well continue into September.” 

There were 2,490 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of August 2023, an increase of 2.9 per cent compared to the previous month of July and a 16.5 per cent increase from the 2,137 active listings for sale at the end of August 2022. 

"The focus in our market and by all levels of government needs to be on opening up more supply," Sol notes. "Our inventory levels, though up from last year, are still too low to support a well-balanced market. A decade ago, we saw over 5,000 active listings in August. Another important piece of supply is the housing mix that is available. Most residential properties for sale in our market last month were single family homes – this type of property is generally at the top price point. Missing middle homes, such as townhomes and condos represented only 37.1% of listings for sale. Townhomes, which in my experience are what a lot of families hope to purchase, represented only 9.8% of the residential properties for sale. This imbalance in the mix of housing options means there is the potential for more price pressure on these types of properties because demand is concentrated at more attainable price points."

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in August 2022 was $1,327,700. The benchmark value for the same home in August 2023 decreased by 0.3 per cent to $1,323,900, which is up from July’s value of $1,318,800. The MLS® HPI benchmark value for a condominium in the Victoria Core area in August 2022 was $583,700, while the benchmark value for the same condominium in August 2023 decreased by 0.3 per cent to $582,000, which is up from the July value of $578,000.