WINNIPEGREALTORS® PRESS RELEASE, October 8, 2020

WinnipegREALTORS® September Real Estate Market Release - September MLS® sales reaching an all-time high of 1,777 for this month compared to 1,211 in 2019 indicates the resurgence of sales since June continues throughout the third quarter.

Sales dollar volume in September of over half a billion dollars rose 57% compared to September 2019. The higher percentage increase in dollar volume compared to the 47% gain in sales is an indicator of upward pressure on prices. This is due to the accelerated sales activity and the rapid depletion of listings.

Active listings at the end of September are down 34% from 6,012 in 2019 to current inventory of 3,942.

“We are witnessing unprecedented times and certainly our third quarter sales activity of over 5,500 sales is unrivalled from any previous quarter in WinnipegREALTORS® history,” said Catherine Schellenberg, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. “For comparison sake, last...

WINNIPEGREALTORS® PRESS RELEASE, September 9, 2020

WinnipegREALTORS® August Real Estate Market Release - Recovery in sales since June has turned into a strong resurgence in MLS® market activity with August registering 1,845 sales, the third straight month of 1,800 plus sales. Sales in August are up 28% over August 2019 and the five-year average for this month.

Listings however have not rebounded with the same vigour. The 2,374 new listings entered on the market in August are down 1% from last August and dropped 9% in July when compared to the same month in 2019.  As a result, it leaves the current inventory of 4,232 listings down 30% from the same time last year. The number of sales in August represents 44% of the current inventory whereas last August it was 24%.

“Following three months of overall heightened sales activity we are not seeing the same response with listings coming on the market,” said Catherine Schellenberg, president of WinnipegREALTORS...

WINNIPEGREALTORS® PRESS RELEASE, August 11, 2020

WINNIPEG - On record for the first time, WinnipegREALTORS^® market region experienced consecutive months for top monthly MLS^® sales. July MLS^® sales are 1,898 compared to 1,897 in June which outpaced the previous record month in May 2019 of 1,705 sales.

July 2020 MLS^® sales are up 32% over July 2019 while dollar volume ($596.1 million) is up 36% over July 2019. Year-to-date MLS^® sales of 8,672 is 5% ahead of the same period last year and the dollar volume reached $2.61 billion in the first 7 months or a 7% increase over last year.

“We are witnessing a very different market this year, with the record month in July bringing us beyond our year-to-date sales in 2019,” said Catherine Schellenberg, president of WinnipegREALTORS^®. “While WinnipegREALTORS^® forecasted another strong year following a successful 2019 with an expanded rural area, we did not expect such a s...

WINNIPEGREALTORS® PRESS RELEASE, July 9, 2020

WINNIPEG - June sales activity took a major step forward towards bringing year-to-date sales back to last year’s total. Multiple Listing Service® sales in June of 1,897 increased 24% over the same month in 2019 and 15% over the 5-year June average. This monthly sales total of just fewer than 1,900 succeeds the previous best month on record in May 2019 when there were 1,705 sales.

Year-to-date sales at the mid-way point of the year are 6,779, less than 1% or 44 unit sales behind the same period in 2019, and 1% below the 5-year average of 6,865 sales.

“Our sales recovery which began in the second half of May confirms Manitobans are feeling confident in transacting in WinnipegREALTORS® market region,” said Catherine Schellenberg, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. “I give credit to all Manitobans who are doing their part to follow social (physical) distancing protocols and a special note of thanks to essential...

WINNIPEGREALTORS® PRESS RELEASE, June 4, 2020

WINNIPEG - Sales of 1,377 decreased 19% in May compared to the same month last year while just over $400 million worth of dollar volume transactions fell 23% compared to May 2019. The 2,428 new listings entered in May were down 21% from last year. There are still 4,621 listings available for sale in June.

“May market activity was clearly impacted by COVID-19 at the outset of May with MLS® sales down similar to the 30% drop off in April sales by mid-month,” said Catherine Schellenberg, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. “It is worth noting however that recovery took hold in the second half of the month with sales from May 20-26th actually outpacing the number recorded the same week in May 2019. Listings also saw an improvement over April with the percentage decline cut in half.”

Year-to-date MLS® sales are at 4,884, less than 8% off the pace set in 2019 while dollar volume of $1.44 billion is down close...

WINNIPEGREALTORS® PRESS RELEASE, May 7, 2020

WINNIPEG - Following the best first quarter market results in WinnipegREALTORS® history, the shutdown of the economy to flatten COVID-19 put the brakes on the market with a reduction in sales and listings.

Multiple Listing Service® sales of 851 were down 30% while the 1,568 new listings entered on the market in April decreased 42% in comparison to April 2019. A number of prospective sellers and buyers took a wait and see approach to what usually is a big jump in activity to kick off the spring market. Overall inventory of listings available for sale remain at a healthy level of 4,466, slightly down 3% from the 5-year average.

Despite this monthly dip in sales, year-to-date sales of 3,511 are just 2% behind the same period in 2019 and 3% down from the 5-year average. Year-to-date dollar volume of just over $1 billion is down 3% from 2019. Similar to sales, dollar volume was off to its fastest three month start with close to...

As you have seen the from the first three (January, February and March) monthly market reports from the WinnipegREALTORS® Association, the real estate market in the Winnipeg Metro Region started strong in 2020.

But as always, I emphasize that these monthly reports are general, overall monthly market statistics for the entire region and for a variety of property types.

Given what is occurring in the world right now with the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic slowdown, I felt it appropriate to supplement the monthly report with more details as to market conditions within a more specific geographic area and as it pertains to specific property types.

If we look at the city of Winnipeg only, the residential (single family homes, SxS’s, town homes, etc.) MLS® market numbers for the entire month of March look reasonably healthy . . . new listings up 1.4% over the previous year and sales down only 3.4%. Pretty remarkable given all that is going on in the world right now.

But if we...

WINNIPEGREALTORS® PRESS RELEASE, APRIL 6, 2020

WINNIPEG - March finished off a strong first quarter of sales activity with 1,089 sales, an 8 % increase over March 2019. First quarter MLS® sales rose 12% over the same period in 2019.

MLS® stands for the Multiple Listing Service®. It is a cooperative real estate selling system operated and promoted by WinnipegREALTORS® that includes an up to date inventory of listings from participating REALTORS®.

MLS® new listings entered on the market in March fell 2% in comparison to March 2019 but remained up nearly 6% for the first three months. Active listings or available listings at end of March of 4,723 remain above previous years with a 12% jump over the same time last year and the same percentage rise over the 5-year average.

“Our first quarter has been consistently solid every month,” said Catherine Schellenberg, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. “Buyers have been taking advantage of affordable...

WINNIPEGREALTORS® PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 6, 2020

WINNIPEG - MLS® sales activity in February replicated January’s 15% increase resulting in 837 sales. The extra day helped as the only other year to see sales rise above 800 in February was in the 2016 leap year. Dollar volume of $236 million was not as strong with a 10% increase over February 2019.

The over 1,700 new listings entered on MLS® is an indicator of early year enthusiasm as are up 18% over the same month last year. This keeps the local market well supplied with 4,266 active listings available for sale in March. The big difference from year to year is in residential-detached listings as they rose 22% over February 2019 while condominium listings entered were slightly down.

As a result, total MLS® inventory is sitting at just over 5 months based on current sales activity.

“It is important to keep in mind some of the spike in residential-detached listings this year is attributable to Winnip...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, February 7, 2020

WINNIPEG - 2020 got off to a strong start with 731 MLS® sales, a 15% increase over January 2019 and 18% more than the 5-year average total. Dollar volume rose 18% to $207.4 million. The 1,870 listings entered on MLS® in January were up less than 5% and at month end there were 4,002 listings available for sale, nearly 7% higher than last year.

“Positive momentum from the end of 2019 continues in 2020 with brisk sales for this time of year,” said Catherine Schellenberg, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. “Helping kick start 2020 are very favourable mortgage rates with 5-year fixed residential mortgage rates available for under 3%.”

Affordability is a real strength in the WinnipegREALTORS® market region and makes the dream of homeownership possible. Over half of all detached homes and condominiums are listed below $300,000 and another 20% are listed from $300,000 to $400,000.

The flight to affordability...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, January 10, 2020

WINNIPEG - December sales of 674 were exceptional — up 25% over the same month in 2018 and 8% above the 5-year average. As a result, activity this month propel year-end sales to the highest level on record at 13,662, a 7% increase over 2018 and slightly ahead of the 13,632 MLS^® sales transacted in 2016.

Similarly, December’s impressive dollar volume of close to $200 million pushed the year-end dollar volume total over the $4 billion threshold level for the first time. Dollar volume in 2019 of $4.059 billion rose over 7% compared to 2018.

Last year also ushered in the highest number of listings entered on WinnipegREALTORS^® MLS^®. The 25,741 listings increased 8% over 2018 and 6% above the 5-year average. The percentage of MLS^® listings selling or what is referred to as the sales-to-listings ratio is still within 2% of the 5-year average. Notable in 2019 is that residential-detached listings sold, on...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, December 5, 2019

WINNIPEG - November sales, dollar volume and listings contributed to a strong second half finish to 2019.

November’s 902 sales transacted on WinnipegREALTORS® MLS® were up 4% over November 2018 and on record to be the second time sales eclipsed 900 in this month. Dollar volume of $270.8 million is the highest for the month of November and increased nearly 10% over November 2018. 

Listings continue their record-setting pace this year with an 18% increase over November 2018 in new listings coming to market. Active listings or inventory at the end of November is sitting at 21% above last year with over 5,000 listings available for sale.

“Manitobans are actively engaged in our real estate market this year given the extent of MLS® listing and sales activity we are experiencing,” said Kenneth Clark, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. “The recovery we predicted in 2019 over 2018 has come to...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, November 7, 2019

WINNIPEG - October sales of 1,173 increased 6% over October 2018 and are the same percentage above the 5-year sales average for this month. October dollar volume of close to $342 million resulted in an increase of less than 4% over the same month in 2018.

Active listings or current inventory of 5,419 remain elevated over last year at this time. They are up 18%. New listings entered on the MLS® in October of 1,958 rose 6% over October 2018. This is a more modest increase in listings compared to double-digit increases every month in the third quarter.

“We are starting to see adjustments in new listings activity to be more in line with last year,” said Ken Clark, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. “The healthy supply of listings we are enjoying this year is contributing to strong sales as buyers take advantage of our wide selection of offerings.”

Rural single family sales are taking a larger market share...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, October 10, 2019

WINNIPEG - WinnipegREALTORS® experienced its strongest third quarter of market activity on record with close to 4,100 MLS® sales worth 1.19 billion dollars. Each of the three months had their highest dollar volume totals ever for their respective months. A new sales record was also set for the month of August while July and September were right at the top.

As a result of this marked improvement in third quarter market activity over 2018, year-to-date sales are up 6% with 10,913 sales while dollar volume of $3.25 billion has increased 7% over the first nine months in 2018. This now places 2019 within less than 1% of the best years on record in 2016 and 2017 with respect to sales and the highest dollar volume of any previous year with three months to go.

September sales of 1,211 are ahead of the same month last year by 16% and only 4 sales shy of the best September on record in 2016. Dollar volume was up 16% too at close to $350...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, September 10, 2019

WINNIPEG - A record month of sales and dollar volume activity for August capped off a very active summer. July and August were identical twins when it came to sales. However dollar volume differed with lower dollar volume in August due in part to condominium sales activity showing much larger gains than single family.

August MLS® sales of 1,439 were up 13% over August 2018 and rose 9% above the five-year average for this month. The highest previous month of sales activity for August was 1,350 sales in 2016. August dollar volume of $411 million resulted in close to a 10% gain over the same month last year. It is the first time August dollar volume has eclipsed the $400 million mark.

The real highlight of August 2019 was the 37% increase in condominium sales over August 2018. The 199 sales are 19% higher than the five-year average for this month and a few sales below the best condo month sales performances ever for the Winnipeg...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, August 9, 2019

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Metro Region market heated up in terms of dollar volume with a new record set for July with $437 million representing a 10% increase over July 2018. Sales of 1,440 trended upward with nearly a 5% rise over last July and only 3% shy of the best July on record in 2014.

Year-to-date sales activity of 8,263 sales shows a 4% gain over the same period last year while dollar volume of close to $2.5 billion is up more than 5% in comparison to 2018. This is the highest dollar volume reached for WinnipegREALTORS® in the first 7 months of 2019.

Helping explain the higher percentage increase in dollar volume this July are some notable increases in sales in some of the higher price ranges in condominiums and to a lesser extent, single family homes. For example, in condominiums, there were 20 sales compared to 10 last July in the $275,000 to $299,999 price range. There were 9 sales compared to 3 last July in the $375,000 to...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, July 10, 2019

WINNIPEG - June sales of 1,528 fell short of June 2018 market activity by 1% and 3% from the 5-year average for this month. What really stood out in June is extensive inventory which offers buyers record levels of choice in one of the most affordable housing markets in the country.

June dollar volume of nearly $463 million declined 2% from June 2018 yet is equal to the 5-year June average. New listings are strong again in June with 2,698 entered on the MLS®, an 8% increase over June 2018. Current inventory going into summer is approaching 6,000 listings, 14% higher than 2018.

“Despite a slight decline in June sales activity the record -setting May helped propel second quarter results to match the 5-year average,” said Ken Clark, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. “This year’s second quarter is just 4% behind our best quarter on record in 2016.”

In terms of June single family home sales activity, sales...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, June 10, 2019

WINNIPEG - May sales of 1,705 is the first time WinnipegREALTORS® has reached and eclipsed the 1,700 threshold mark for any month including May. It also broke new ground for any month with sales dollar volume vaulting over one-half billion to $526 million. The previous record set in May 2017 just fell short of the half billion dollar mark at $499.4 million while sales were only 4 below 1,700.

In relation to the same month last year, sales rose 13% while dollar volume increased 15%. New listings were impressive too with over 3,000 entered on the MLS® in May – a 7% increase compared to May 2017. This leaves 5,689 listings available for sale in June.

“These records are a true testament to a real team effort by our 1,890 REALTOR® members who cooperate every day to serve buyers and sellers in our local market,” said Ken Clark, president of WinnipegREALTORS®.  “It shows how our market region extends...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, May 7, 2019

WINNIPEG - While Manitobans welcomed spring with open arms given a long winter they also were relieved to know potential flooding threats did not come to fruition. Thanks to major engineering flood mitigating projects such as The Winnipeg Floodway or Duff’s Ditch, as it is commonly referred to as, thousands of properties have been saved over many years from the ravages of water damage.

April sales of 1,223 were down less than 5% from April 2018 while dollar volume decreased 3%. It is a 60 sales difference from 2018.

Single family dwellings and condominiums remain close to last year’s results with six fewer sales in single family and eight in condominiums.

2,711 new listings were added to the market in April to create a healthy supply of nearly 5,000 listings available for sale in May. Current inventory sits at 4 months of supply. This is considered balanced from an overall market perspective.

“The strong influx of new...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, April 4, 2019

WINNIPEG – Spring is a time of optimism, when we cast off winter’s gloomy grip and walk cheerfully into the warm sunshine. This renewal of energy is apparently being reflected in local housing sales for the beginning of 2019 in the Winnipeg METRO Region.

First quarter sales are off to a good start. The 2,367 sales transacted in the first three months show a 6% increase over the same period in 2018, and only a 3% dip from the record-setting years of 2016 and 2017. Similar to sales, there is a 6% rise in year-to-date listings with more than 5,400 entered on the MLS®. Dollar volume of close to $700 million is up 7% from 2018.

March sales of 1,009 resulted in nearly a 4% gain in comparison to March 2018, while dollar volume of just under $300 million edged out last March by less than 3%. The 4,212 active listings sitting in inventory at the end of March are 8% higher than they were at the same time last year.

“The...