Home Sales in Canada End 2025 Quietly - Housing Market Report

The number of home sales recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems declined 2.7% on a month -over-month basis in 2025. 

On an annual basis, transactions totalled 470,314 units in 2025, a decrease of 1.9% from 2024. The year was characterized by a tariff -induced flight of buyers back to the sidelines in the first quarter, followed by a decent sales rally mid -year, and a bit of a stall to finish off 2025.

“There doesn’t appear to have been much rhyme or reason to the month - over-month decline in home sales in December, which was simply the result of coincident but seemingly unrelated slowdowns in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Montreal,” said Shaun Cathcart, CREA’s Senior Economist. “For that reason, it would be prudent for market observers to resist the temptation to trace a line from the end of 2025 into 2026. Rather, we continue to expect sales to move higher again as we get closer to the spring, rejoining the upward trend that was observed throughout the spring, summer, and early fall of last year.

Take advantage of the lower prices and interest rates now while the market is saturated, this wont last long!

Kelowna is finally moving towards short term rentals again, but it comes with a few more rules, applications, and possibly not going to be in effect until November 2026. However Kelowna City Council is motioning to have this moved to May 2026 to catch the tourist season and give homeowners a chance to capitalize on the once lucrative market that existed before the rental crunch took affect banning short term rentals in the city of Kelowna. The vacancy rate in Kelowna is at 3.8% as we see rental costs fall back into a normal range for living, a big leap from 2023 where it was only 1.2%. Since then Kelowna has restricted short term rentals to principal residences, a secondary suite, or structure like a laneway suite on the property. Changes are coming, now is the time to invest in a short term rental property!

Well fall is here in the Okanagan, time to prepare your home for seasonal changes. If you’re in the Southern Okanagan - like Penticton and Summerland - you have a bit more time before you need to address some of the things the Central Okanagan - Peachland, West Kelowna, Kelowna, Lake Country - or the North Okanagan such as -Vernon, Coldstream, Armstrong, and Enderby who’s seasonal changes come in a bit more aggressively. 

Top of the list for Autumn maintenance would be blowing out the irrigation system, wrapping or re-locating sensitive plants/trees, pruning or cutting back trees, clearing debris from gutters and rain leads, sealing concrete, having your stove/chimney cleaned and inspected if you have a wood or pellet stove, and touching up and parts of your home that may be exposed to rain and snow. 

Lets embrace the seasonal changes with planning instead of panic! Hope you enjoyed this little reminder :)