DEMAND IN THE FRASER VALLEY EXTENDS TO TOWNHOMES AND APARTMENTS

SURREY, BC – Consumer demand for real estate in the Fraser Valley continued through May, with overall sales once again reaching record-breaking numbers for the month historically.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 2,911 sales on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in May, an increase of 47.8 per cent compared to May 2015. The previous record for sales processed in a May was set in 2006 at 2,245. However, sales dropped two per cent when compared to April 2016, continuing a slight trend of easing off since sales peaked this spring at 3,006 sales in March.

Of the 2,911 sales processed in May, 615 were townhouses and 557 were apartments, representing a significant portion of May’s market activity and a large increase when compared to May 2015. Townhome transactions increased 56.1 per cent when compared to last year, and apartments reached even higher levels seeing a 112.6 per cent gain.

Charles Wiebe, President of the Board, said of this month’s market data, “Demand is tremendous, still, for detached homes in our region, but it’s encouraging to see that the upward pace of that demand is leveling off.

"However, we’re also seeing the ripple effects as consumers are looking to townhomes and apartments in record numbers. This year, so far, is the busiest those markets have ever been.”

The Board received 3,674 new listings in May, an increase of 22.9 per cent compared to May of last year, and a 6.8 per cent decrease from April 2016. The total active inventory for May was 5,752, down 32.4 per cent from last year’s 8,512 active listings.

Across Fraser Valley, the average number of days to sell a single family detached home in May 2016 was 16 days, compared to 31 days in May 2015.

The MLS® HPI benchmark price of a Fraser Valley single family detached home in May was $834,200, an increase of 38.3 per cent compared to May 2015 when it was $603,100.

In May, the benchmark price of townhouses was $365,000, an increase of 20.4 per cent compared to $303,100 in May 2015. The benchmark price of apartments also increased year-over-year by 17 per cent, going from $192,500 in May 2015 to $225,200 in May 2016.