A hot real estate market getting hotter

Garry Marr, Financial Post

The statistics may not say it yet but Toronto real estate sales representative Kate Watson can already feel the ground shifting.

A new set of data from the Ottawa-based Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) shows the market tighter than ever with the lack of supply in new listings conspiring to make a hot market even hotter.

CREA said Thursday the average sale price of a house in Canada reached $331,602 last month, a 13.6% increase from a year ago. There just isn't enough new product coming to market to meet demand. Last month, there was 80,816 new listings across the country, compared to 97,657 a year ago.

The supply problem is happening in almost every major Canadian city. Toronto new listings were down 25.3% last month from a year ago. Calgary was off 26.1%.

The number of months of inventory in the market -- which is based on the number of months it would take to sell current inventories based on current sales activity -- was 4.9 months in September. That figure was down slightly from August and way off the peak of 12.8 months reached in January.

CREA expects the situation to ease in the coming months as sellers realize the type of prices they can get if they list. Ms. Watson, who works for Wright Real Estate Brokers Ltd., says the situation is already resolving itself.

"It was bit of as logjam but it is already starting to clear," she says. "You had a lot people waiting to list until after Thanksgiving because nobody wants to put their property for sale before a holiday."

The Canadian market has had a remarkable turnaround from a winter that was the worst Ms. Watson can remember in her six years on the job which have mostly witnessed a rising market. September sales across the country were up 1.5% from August. The latest bump in sales puts the market 63% above January low.

The same things continue to drive the housing market. "Low interest rates, rebounding consumer confidence and improving overall sense of economic security continue to draw homebuyers," said Dale Ripplinger, president of CREA.

CREA's chief economist Gregory Klump said the 1.5% increase in sales while impressive shows the market is beginning to cool to some degree. "Monthly sales activity remained on a strong upward trajectory throughout the third quarter in British Columbia while showing signs it may be topping out in other provinces. On balance, this suggest the sales activity may be starting to plateau after having climbed rapidly earlier this year," he said.

The total dollar figure for all sales in the third quarter reached $41-billion, the highest level on record for the period. British Columbia and Ontario reached new
highs for dollar volume. Canada's largest cities are driving the housing market.

Vancouver sales in the third quarter were up 34% from second. Toronto sales rose 11% during same period while Calgary climbed 19%.

Nationally, average national sales price in the third quarter was $327,736, an 11% increase from a year ago. Sellers sitting on the sidelines are expected to move in the coming months.

"Headline average price increases over the rest of the year are expected to prompt sellers to return to the market," said Mr. Klump. "An increase in new listings will help keep a lid on price increases."

Scotiabank economist Adrienne Warren says she's not too concerned about any sort of bubble building in the housing market. "I don't think so. This is just the strength of demand and a lack of listings," she said. "As the economy stabilizes, people will feel more confident to list their homes."