WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, January 9, 2014

WINNIPEG - While 2013 will go down in WinnipegREALTORS® MLS® sales history as the fourth best year on record at 12,926 sales, it is still disappointing to see sales miss the 13,000 benchmark level set in 2007 and then again in 2011 and 2012.

A third consecutive year of 13,000 MLS® sales was attainable however March proved to be the year’s Achilles heel. What was so demonstrably clear is how much more the first-time homebuyer market struggled that month in comparison to the move-up market. With a more robust first-time homebuyer market in March, 74 sales could easily have been achieved to reach once again the annual 13,000 MLS® sales level.

It was noted back then the drop off in buyer activity was three times greater in the lower first-time homebuyer price ranges than in the higher move-up ones. At the same time WinnipegREALTORS® received a very conclusive response from its REALTOR® members indicating how they...