WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, May 7, 2016

WINNIPEG - April MLS® sales showed continued strength and momentum from an excellent first quarter of MLS® sales and dollar volume activity.

April sales surpassed both last April’s total and the April 10-year average by 8%. The 1,373 sales transacted through WinnipegREALTORS®’ MLS® are the highest sales total on record for the month of April.

Year-to-date sales are also up 8% at over 3,800. This current pace is only outflanked by 2012 while year-to-date dollar volume of over $1 billion has risen nearly 10% over the same period in 2015.

Active listing inventory has come off its peak level of over 5,000 in 2015. It now sits at 4,708 in 2016. New listings coming on the market in April were down 10% from the same month last year. The absorption rate for all MLS® listings going into May if you assume there are no new listings entered on MLS® is down to three and one-half months.

“While there were no major...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, April 7, 2016

WINNIPEG - WinnipegREALTORS® MLS® market got off to a good start in 2016 with the first three months showing an 8% increase in sales over the same period a year ago. Helping make this result possible was a stellar March 2016 performance in which sales went up 5% over last March. There were 1,058 sales in March and 2,445 in the first quarter.

Owing to a new listings drop of nearly 9% in combination with strong sales, the active inventory at the end of March experienced a slight decrease from 2015. This is the exact opposite of what has been happening the last few years as the number of active listings has been spiking upward significantly. The overall MLS® market as a result is in balanced market conditions with 4 months of inventory.

When you breakdown the two main property types of residential-detached and condominiums a clear difference emerges. Based on March sales activity, the 2,259 residential-detached listings existing...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, March 9, 2016

WINNIPEG - Whether an extra day in February paved the way for a record month is debatable as the best previous high for this month was 797 in 2007 and there were only 28 days to reach that level.  What it does show however, is more buyers came out of the woodwork to take advantage of some of the best supply of affordable house prices in the country. 

Another February milestone was set this year too with dollar volume easily surpassing $200 million for the first time.  New listings coming on to the market were up in double-digits as well however the stronger conversion of listings to sales kept the overall inventory close to where it was a year ago. Based on the strong sales activity in February and a high influx of new listings there is roughly four and one-half month’s supply of MLS® listings available going into March. It was near six months at the end of January.

In percentage terms, February MLS® sales of...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, February 3, 2016

WINNIPEG – It has often been said that one month does not a market make. Yet here it is … January 2016 … and we only have one month to look at … so January is the market! And not to disappoint, the activity in the first 31 days does give us a lot to evaluate.

WinnipegREALTORS® was founded as The Winnipeg Real Estate Exchange in 1903 – and one of the founding Objects of the Corporation was to “… compile, record and publish statistics and acquire and distribute information respecting the real estate … business of its Members …”. So we’ve been looking at and interpreting market activity and statistics for 113 years.

Here’s how the New Year kicked off …

In terms of inventory, we have more listings available this January for buyers than we’ve had for the past 5 Januarys. More supply starts to change the sellers’ markets we’ve experienced...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, January 13, 2016

WINNIPEG -   2015 finished on a strong note.  Following on the heels of a record sales month for November, December sales of 642 were up 4% from last December. They are the third highest for this month, and are only behind the best sales years ever by a very modest amount. 

“It is really quite remarkable how close our year-end sales have been in the last few years including our highest sales year in 2007,” said WinnipegREALTORS® outgoing president David MacKenzie. “They all tend to hover just above or close to the 13,000 level and in percentage terms we are only talking a little over 1% when we compare the 12,927 sales recorded this year to the 13,079 in 2007.”

While sales and even prices have shown consistent and similar results, listings have not chartered the same path. The number of listings entered on the MLS® were 24,603 in 2015, up 7% over 2014, and 41% over the 10-year average...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, December 5, 2015

WINNIPEG – Mild weather, hosting the Grey Cup, being singled out as one of the best destinations in the world to visit by National Geographic Traveler magazine, or just having a an excellent supply of terrific listings to choose from with such favourable mortgage rates, it was the first time November nudged over 900 sales in WinnipegREALTORS® 112-year history. 

Not surprisingly, dollar volume was at its highest level too for this month at nearly $245 million and with a month to go, it is virtually assured a new annual dollar volume record will be set around the $3.5 billion mark. November also set a record for the highest-priced residential-detached or single family property sold ever at $2.7 million. It is a spectacular home and acreage nestled along the Assiniboine River in St. Francois Xavier.

“We have said all along this year Winnipeg is a very stable real estate market with good fundamentals supporting it,”...

Winnipeg has been named one of the Top 20 best places in the world to visit in 2016 by National Geographic Traveler - one of the most prestigious travel publications in the world. Winnipeg is the only Canadian destination on the list, alongside places like New York City, Hawaii and Bermuda.

The full National Geographic Traveler story an be viewed here.

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, November 5, 2015

WINNIPEG - With two months to go, it is too close to call whether this year’s sales activity can eke out a victory over 2015. The lead has changed a few times when comparing sales activity between 2015 and 2014. At present, 2014 regains the lead with a total of 11,391 versus 11,382 sales this year. Last year was WinnipegREALTORS® fifth highest sales year recorded at over 12,800 sales. It was a good year and only less than 2% off the best year in 2007.

On the other hand, MLS® dollar volume continues to set new records every year even if sales fall short of previous years.  2015 is no different.  Its $3.1 billion in MLS® sales transactions activity is up 2% over 2014. Listings entered on the MLS® for the first 10 months are 22,400, an 8% increase over 2014.

October MLS® sales of 1,084 represent a decrease of less than 3% from October 2014 while dollar volume of $283 million dropped a similar percentage...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, October 8, 2015

WINNIPEG - September MLS® sales activity and the year-to-date pace is indicative of a steady market.  It is tracking very closely to 2014 as was forecast.  2014 saw WinnipegREALTORS®’ 5^th highest MLS® sales result in its 112-year history.

If we even use the third quarter or the past 3 months as an example, and look back over 3 years including 2015, it is quite remarkable how similar they are. Some may say nearly identical as there is a difference of only 7 sales between the highest and lowest sales results.  In order of highest third quarter MLS® sales to lowest they are as follows: 2013 – 3,803; 2014 – 3,802; 2015 – 3,796. You would be hard pressed to find such a minimal sales difference in any other major Canadian real estate market.

“They are not headline grabbing numbers,” said WinnipegREALTORS® president David MacKenzie. “What they tell us is we are very...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, Septemer 8, 2015

WINNIPEG - The strong sales performance in August resulted in bringing year-to-date sales ahead of last year for the first 8 months of 2015. Last month 2014 was ahead slightly but the lead slipped away by the end of August owing to the 11% increase in sales over August 2014.

Dollar volume on the other hand has remained ahead of 2014 throughout the year.  In fact, August reinforced this consistent edge by setting a new dollar volume record for this month.  Over $340 million was transacted through the MLS® in August with one single family home sale fetching $2.1 million. Year-to-date dollar volume is now over $2.5 billion. It is up nearly 3% over last year and is the highest level it has ever been for the first 8 months.

At 1,258 sales, August 2015 is right up there with the best. The three higher August month sales on record are modestly better with none reaching the 1,300 level.  As for listings, compared to the last...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, August 7, 2015

WINNIPEG - It is no easy feat to overtake a record July set in 2014. Nonetheless, July 2015 sales were still brisk. At nearly 1,400 sales, they are 6% higher than the 10-year sales average and third highest for this month ever. If not for condominium sales lagging behind in July as well as this year-to-date, July 2015 would have narrowed the gap in MLS® sales from last July and been even more impressive.

Residential-detached sales continue to perform well in comparison to 2014. They are only down 2% from last July and are up 3% year-to-date.  On the other hand, condominium sales are off 22% in July and 17% for the year.

“We are a little bit surprised by how condominium sales are not rebounding from a slow start this year,” said WinnipegREALTORS® president Dave MacKenzie. “One thing I know for sure is it has nothing to do with lack of supply. With 939 condo listings available at the end of July, it is over...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, July 9, 2015

WINNIPEG   - Since 2007 when for the first time June sales surpassed 1,500, this level has become the new benchmark upon which June is judged.  At 1,509 MLS® unit sales in June, over 1,500 sales have occurred three times after 2007 including last year when there were 1,515 sales. There is only a 55 unit sales difference or over 3% higher sales activity in the record-setting June 2008.

Not much difference on a year-to-date basis either.  Year-to-date sales are running less than 1% ahead of last year with 6,502 sales. This total is only off 7% from 2007, which at the halfway mark and year end holds the highest unit sales level in WinnipegREALTORS® 112-year history.  

This reinforces why Winnipeg’s real estate market may lack the excitement of other housing markets because it’s so steady and stable in generating similar results every year.

“In all honesty, our Winnipeg market can be quite...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, June 4, 2015

WINNIPEG - While still a large influx of new listings came onto the market in May, it was the first decrease over the same month the previous year in over two years. Just this year alone monthly increases have been significant (e.g. 33% spike in March over March 2014).

One month does not make a trend. However, due to less inventory going into June and higher sales activity occurring in the spring market, the Multiple Listing Service® inventory has a supply of four months.  Altus Group, a leading national housing consulting firm which tracks local markets every month, states five months inventory of resale product is considered to be a “normal” market.

“Overall our local market is balanced and offers plenty of choice for discerning buyers to find their preferred property,” said WinnipegREALTORS® president David MacKenzie.  “Sellers on the other hand need to be realistic in their pricing as there...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, May 7, 2015

WINNIPEG - The real estate market is either very, very good … or really, really suspect … depending on which headlines you choose to read.

It’s difficult to decide what’s really happening from the sound bites, but the numbers on the resale market for the first 4 months of the year paint a fairly rosy picture. Statistics for the first third of the year are up from comparable numbers last year, and last year recorded the 4^th best resale numbers in the past 20 years and the best dollar volume ever through the Multiple Listing Service®.

“Our numbers continue to support our Forecast Breakfast predictions.” said WinnipegREALTORS® President David MacKenzie. “In January we predicted that sales would be up 0-2% year-over-year and home prices would increase by the same amount. And the January through April activity bears that out and then some."

The April MLS® listing inventory, the number of ...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, April 8, 2015

WINNIPEG - More spring-like weather this March compared to the previous few years helped spur more sales activity. MLS® sales climbed over 1,000 and ended up being just 2% off the ten-year March average of 1,025. First quarter sales activity showed a similar pattern, also off 2% from the ten-year average of 2,318 MLS® sales.

MLS® dollar volume of $276 million was up 11% over March of last year and up 9% over the ten-year average.

New and available listings continue to be impressive when compared to last March.  New listings entered on the MLS® in March increased 33% while the active listings or existing inventory were up 29% to 4,338 MLS® listings. Whatever is being sold is more than being replenished by the entry of new listings on the system.

You have to go back to 1999 to find as many listings available for sale at this time of year and back to 1995 when there were more new listings entered on MLS® in March....

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, March 5, 2015

WINNIPEG – There will be an excess of white noise from all media outlets across the country about real estate market activity in the first two months of the year.  We will be bombarded by new highs and lows from Toronto and Calgary and Vancouver … but the real story should address what’s happening in Winnipeg. If we want to know the weather, we don’t listen to the Toronto radio and TV feeds – we listen to our local experts. The same should be true about our real estate market.

February MLS® listing inventory, the number of properties available for sale in Winnipeg, rose 24%. So buyers had more properties to choose from than last February, which should indicate more balance in the marketplace.

Listings entered into the MLS® system were also up 18% over last February, with the addition of 1,535 properties.

The number of sales processed in the month was just 8 shy of last February, with 672 sales...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, February 5, 2015

WINNIPEG - MLS® activity in January was very solid with the third highest sales total on record for this month.  It also ushered in a new January monthly dollar volume high of over $150 million.  New listings coming on to the market remain robust with a 25% increase over 2014. This increase is even more significant considering the rise in new listings is at 40% when you compare it to a ten-year average. Not surprisingly, active listings or the inventory available for buyers to choose from is up 25% as well over 2014.

January MLS® unit sales were up 4% (588/565) while dollar volume rose 4% ($151.6 million/$146.0 million) in comparison to the same month last year.

“At our annual forecast breakfast last month we said 2015 would be a more balanced market and January results bear this point out, “ said Dave MacKenzie, president of WinnipegREALTORS®.  “The healthy influx and overall supply of listings...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, January 9, 2015

WINNIPEG – While the increase in MLS® listings has been grabbing headlines in 2014 MLS® sales have still fared well. MLS® sales in December were up 5% over December 2013 and 3% above the 10-year average for December sales activity. As for annual MLS® sales, it was a repeat performance. When it was all said and done sales in 2014 fell shy of 2013 by only 42 sales (well under 1%). This makes 2014 WinnipegREALTORS® 5th highest year for MLS® sales.

The widest margin in sales activity from the highest sales year in 2007 to 2014 is less than 2% so the top five years are all in a very narrow range.  2014 MLS® sales are also less than 2% ahead of the 10-year annual average of 12,631 sales.

A similar trend is not the case for MLS® listings. This was especially evident in 2014 when current listings entered on the MLS® system each month were consistently up over the previous year and in many months the...

WinnipegREALTORS® Press Release, December 4, 2014

WINNIPEG - When Santa descends on Winnipeg and surrounding rural municipalities and cities such as Steinbach this Christmas he will see plenty of real estate signs. For vendors they will be wishing for a sold affixed to their sign. Buyers with more choice to find that perfect home may wish for the same on a house they are successful in securing before year end.

2014 has been an extremely busy listing year with active MLS® listings at the end of November up 20% from 2013 and current MLS® listings or new ones coming on the market in November up 6% from last November.  Based on the average number of listings remaining for sale at the end of November over the last 10 years, there are approximately 1,500 more MLS® listings available for sale this December. This larger inventory has created buyers’ market conditions. It makes the word “comparable” take on increased meaning when there is this much more selection...