OTTAWA, Ontario, July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The number of home sales recorded over Canadian MLS® Systems edged up a further 0.5% on a month-over-month basis in June 2026. This builds on the 5.5% jump recorded in May and the 0.9% increase in April, placing national activity some 7% above where it stood in March.
“June’s housing numbers continued to build momentum following the late start to the year in May, with virtually every metric moving in the right direction,” said Shaun Cathcart, CREA’s Senior Economist. “Looking ahead, fixed mortgage rates have eased from their peak in April, and rate hikes from the Bank of Canada this year are much less likely than they were just a month ago. This is good news for borrowers. Additionally, home prices are no longer falling in most of the markets where they were previously, which had likely been keeping a lot of buyers waiting on the sidelines. As such, we continue to expect the second half of the year to be quite a bit more active than the first half, similar to sales activity in 2024 and 2025.”
June Highlights:
- National home sales edged up 0.5% month-over-month.
- Actual (not seasonally adjusted) monthly activity came in 0.9% above June 2025.
- The number of newly listed properties declined 1.3% on a month-over-month basis.
- The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) was unchanged month-over-month and was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis.
- The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average sale price was up 0.5% on a year-over-year basis in June 2026.
New listings fell back 1.3% on a month-over-month basis in June 2026, marking a second straight decline.
Combined with the small increase in sales in June, the national sales-to-new listings ratio tightened to 50.2% compared to 49.3% in May. It was the first time this year the measure was back above the 50% mark. The long-term average for the national sales-to-new listings ratio is 54.8%, with readings between 45% and 65% generally consistent with balanced housing market conditions.
“The last couple of months have seen the return of more certainty around both interest rates and home values, along with an increasing number of buyers in the market,” said Garry Bhaura, CREA Chair. “We may see a brief pause in that trend as Canadians enjoy their summer, but the stage is set for a busier fall market. That usually comes to life after Labour Day, which gives buyers and sellers a bit of time to do their research, make a plan, and get homes ready to list. As always, step one is to get in touch with a REALTOR® in your area.”
There were 208,578 properties listed for sale on all Canadian MLS® Systems at the end of June 2026, up just 0.6% from a year earlier and 0.8% above the long-term average for that time of the year.
There were 4.8 months of inventory nationally at the end of June 2026, unchanged from May, and the lowest level so far in 2026. This remains close to, but slightly below, the long-term average for this measure of five months. Based on one standard deviation above and below that long-term average, a sellers’ market would be below 3.6 months, and a buyers’ market would be above 6.4 months.
The National Composite MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) held steady from May to June, marking the first time the measure has not declined on a month-over-month basis since January 2025.
The non-seasonally adjusted National Composite MLS® HPI was down 3.6% compared to June 2025, the smallest year-over-year decline since last October.
Regionally, prices remain down on a year-over-year basis in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, although those declines are now getting smaller as prices have been stabilizing in recent months. Prices were also down year-over-year in Nova Scotia for the first time in more than three years as prices have been coming off the boil in 2026.
The non-seasonally adjusted national average home price was $696,078 in June 2026, edging up 0.5% from the same month last year.
The next CREA statistics package will be published on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this news release combines both major market and national sales information from MLS® Systems from the previous month.
CREA cautions that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighbourhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas. Statistical information contained in this report includes all housing types.
MLS® Systems are co-operative marketing systems used only by Canada’s real estate boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry associations, representing more than 155,000 REALTORS® through 61 real estate boards and associations.
Further information can be found at http://CREA.ca/statistics.
For more information, please contact:
Pierre Leduc, Media Relations
The Canadian Real Estate Association
Tel.: 613-237-7111 or 613-884-1460
E-mail: pleduc@CREA.ca
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8182872f-bab8-454d-a565-26dc6b48b6c9
