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From the Desk of Your Managing Broker:
May 2026 Market Update
Century 21 In Town Realty · REALTOR® Team
Market Snapshot — May 2026
S/A Ratio
13.1%
Balanced Market
Total Sales
2,150
-3.5% YoY
Active Listings
16,917
-1.0% YoY
Composite Benchmark
$1.10M
+0.2% MoM
Detached
$1.85M
+0.4% MoM
Apartment
$698K
-7.9% YoY
Key Insight: May 2026 tells a two-speed story. Detached sales edged up 0.9% year-over-year — the first positive reading in months — while apartments lagged, down 7.2% YoY. The good news: benchmark prices ticked higher month-over-month across detached and townhomes, signalling that the multi-year correction may be winding down. With 34.6% more inventory than the 10-year average, buyers have outstanding selection. GVR’s chief economist is calling “a calm and orderly summer market” — and conditions support that view.
What’s Hot & What’s Not
HOT Right Now
Pitt Meadows DetachedS/A Ratio: 33% — hottest sub-market in the region. $1M–$1.25M band hitting 50%. Central & Mid Meadows leading the charge.
New West Detached — The Heights & West EndSelling at 100% of list price. Sales up 35% month-over-month. Strong seller conditions.
Port Coquitlam — CitadelS/A Ratio: 39% — standout community with strong family home demand under $1.5M.
Townhomes RegionwideS/A Ratio: 15.4% · Benchmark up 0.5% MoM · Prices stabilizing · Solid balanced-market conditions.
Detached Prices StabilizingBenchmark up 0.4% MoM. Floors forming after a year-plus of YoY declines across the region.
BUYER OPPORTUNITY ZONES
Apartments — Metro-WideS/A Ratio: 14.2% · Benchmark down 7.9% YoY · Best buying window for condos in years.
Burnaby DetachedS/A Ratio: 9% — only 9 in 100 homes sold. Real negotiating room, especially above $2M.
Coquitlam DetachedS/A Ratio: 10% · Strong buyer leverage in Coquitlam West and Maillardville.
Maple Ridge DetachedS/A Ratio: 11% · 440 active listings · Buyers hold the cards above $1.75M.
Overall Inventory34.6% above the 10-year seasonal average. Outstanding selection across all property types and price bands.
Strategic Tips for Your Clients
Buyer Tips
Negotiate with Confidence: 34.6% more inventory than average gives you selection and leverage — use both.
Target Apartments: Down ~8% YoY — the best entry-level and investor window in years.
Townhomes Are the Sweet Spot: Balanced conditions, stabilizing prices, great for families and right-sizers.
Don’t Wait Too Long: Pent-up demand is building. Rate cuts could shift the market faster than expected.
Go Community-Level: Pitt Meadows detached is a sellers’ market. Burnaby detached is a buyers’ market. Micro-data matters.
Seller Tips
Price Sharp on Day One: 7.7 months of supply means overpriced listings go invisible fast. Buyers are patient.
Detached Is Holding: Benchmark up 0.4% MoM. Well-presented homes in good areas are generating offers.
Condition Wins: Immaculate, well-staged homes priced to the benchmark are moving. Tired listings are not.
Know Your Micro-Market: Selling in Citadel, The Heights, or Pitt Meadows? You’re in a sellers’ market — price accordingly.
Less Competition This Summer: New listings down 7.6% vs May 2025. List now for better visibility through July.
Market Forecast
3-Month Outlook — Summer 2026
- Calm & orderly conditions ahead. GVR sees no major catalysts to shift the market through summer.
- Prices stabilizing. Month-over-month gains in detached and townhomes signal the correction is winding down.
- Inventory stays elevated — buyers remain in control with strong selection through Q3.
- Apartment softness continues near-term — but affordable pricing sets up a strong future entry point.
- Summer listing window is open. New listings down 7.6% vs last year — less head-to-head competition for sellers.
12-Month Outlook — to May 2027
- Pent-up demand is the wildcard. BCREA notes improved affordability is building — any rate cut could release it quickly.
- HPI stabilization likely. Multi-year correction appears to be ending across detached and attached segments.
- BC-wide activity normalizing. Sales 34% below the 10-year average — normalization means higher activity through 2027.
- Rate trajectory is the key driver. Continued BoC easing would meaningfully accelerate buyer activity.
- Long-term fundamentals intact. Population growth, land scarcity, and supply constraints continue to underpin values.
Your Winning Strategy for Summer 2026!
Team — here’s my take for Summer 2026.
Yes, overall sales are below historical averages — but I want you to look at what’s actually happening out there. Detached prices are ticking up month-over-month, townhome conditions are stabilizing, and our buyers have more inventory to choose from than they’ve had in years. There is opportunity on both sides of every transaction right now — and that’s our job to show them.
Here’s segestions to focused on this month:
- Pull the S/A ratio for your specific farm area — not all neighbourhoods are equal, and that number is your credibility in every client conversation.
- Call your buyer clients: apartments are down 8% YoY — this is the entry point they’ve been waiting for. Make that call today.
- Call your seller leads: new listings are down 7.6% vs last May — less competition means more visibility for anyone who lists now.
- Use the HPI benchmark in every pricing conversation — it’s the most defensible tool we have and sets you apart from agents who just pull comps.
- Frame summer positively: “calm and orderly” doesn’t mean slow — it means predictable. Predictable markets close deals.
I’m here if you need to talk through any listing or buyer situation. Let’s make it a great summer.
— Doug
Douglas Foulds, REALTOR® | Managing Broker
Century 21 In Town Realty
Data Sources: Greater Vancouver REALTORS® Monthly Statistics Package (May 2026) · SnapStats® Greater Vancouver Edition, captured June 1, 2026 · BCREA Economics Housing Market Update (April 2026). All figures deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This analysis is for professional use by licensed REALTORS®. Always verify specific data points with official GVR sources. MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks of CREA.
