New listings at 10-year high in 2024, but
affordability still the elephant in the room in Fraser Valley
Bank of Canada
interest rate cuts that began mid-year were not enough to ease the
affordability crisis for many home buyers in the Fraser Valley in 2024,
leading to a decline in annual sales.
The Fraser Valley Real
Estate Board reported new listings of 35,698 for the year ended December
31, 2024, a 10-year high and nine per cent above the 10-year average.
However, annual sales recorded on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) were
the lowest seen in ten years at 14,570, a decline of one per cent over 2023
and 24 per cent below the 10-year average. The City of Surrey accounted for
the majority of 2024 sales at 51 per cent, with Langley and Abbotsford
accounting for 24 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.
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“2024 marked another
subdued year for Fraser Valley home sales on the heels of a ten-year low
in 2023,” said Jeff Chadha, Chair of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board.
“Slight declines in home prices across some areas of the region provided
negligible relief for buyers looking to get into the market. At the same
time, the modest price adjustments did not discourage sellers from
listing.”
The composite
Benchmark home price in the Fraser Valley closed the year at $965,000,
down two per cent year-over-year, and down four per cent from its 2024
peak in March.
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December 2024
The Board recorded 994
sales on its MLS® in December, a decline of 13 per cent from November,
but 19 per cent above sales from December 2023.
New listings declined
46 per cent from November to December, from 2,367 to 1,288, contributing
to a 23 per cent decline in overall inventory in December. With a
sales-to-active listings ratio of 16 per cent in December, the overall
market closed out the year in balance. The market is considered balanced
when the ratio is between 12 per cent and 20 per cent.
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“While the Fraser
Valley saw overall balanced market conditions for most of 2024, the low
levels of buying and selling activity reflected a challenging year for
many as would-be buyers waited for affordability to improve,” said Baldev
Gill, CEO of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “Interest rate cuts by
the Bank of Canada along with recent government policies aimed at
boosting overall housing supply and improving affordability, should help
to increase market conditions in 2025.”
It took longer to sell
townhomes and condos in December compared to November. Townhomes spent 36
days on the market, up from 33 days in November, while condos spent 38
days on the market, up from 36 days in the previous month. Single-family
homes spent 43 days on the market — no change from November.
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The composite
Benchmark home price in the Fraser Valley continued to slide for the
ninth straight month, down 0.5 per cent compared to November.
MLS® HPI Benchmark Price Activity
- Single Family Detached: At $1,480,400, the
Benchmark price for an FVREB single-family detached home
decreased 0.1 per cent compared to November 2024 and increased 0.9
per cent compared to December 2023.
- Townhomes: At $827,900, the
Benchmark price for an FVREB townhome decreased 0.9 per
cent compared to November 2024 and increased 0.3 per cent compared
to December 2023.
- Apartments: At $533,900, the
Benchmark price for an FVREB apartment/condo decreased
0.4 per cent compared to November 2024 and decreased 0.2 per cent
compared to December 2023.
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