Interest rates are a large factor in the Victoria Real Estate Market

The October 2023 Real Estate Market Stats show a total of 407 properties were sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this October. That is 15.2 percent fewer than the 480 properties sold in October 2022 and a 17.4 percent decrease from September 2023. Sales of condominiums were down 7.2 per cent from October 2022 with 141 units sold. Sales of single-family homes decreased 16.1 percent from October 2022 with 193 sold.

“Overall, property sales drifted down in October compared to the previous month. Likely due to consumers continuing to navigate interest rates higher than those seen in nearly two decades,” said Victoria Real Estate Board Chair Graden Sol.
“The uncertainty around the direction of the Bank of Canada’s rate announcement in mid-October may have caused some buyers to push their purchasing plans into the future, because it was unclear if rates were going to be hiked again or remain stable. Generally speaking, when we have periods of static interest rates, consumer confidence returns to the market. We can recall earlier in the year when rates plateaued; we saw an uptick in sales in the weeks after. However, when rates began to rise again, we saw consumer confidence falter.”

There were 2,756 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of October 2023. This is an increase of 2.1 percent compared to the previous month of September and a 25.7 percent increase from the 2,192 active listings for sale at the end of October 2022.

“The good news in October was that we continued to see a slow and steady increase in the number of available properties for sale,” adds Sol. “This additional inventory is positive for buyers who will have more selection than they’ve experienced in recent years. The real estate market tends to slow down in late fall and winter, but there are still a good number of active buyers. If you’re thinking about making a move during the colder months, reach out to your local REALTOR® to plan your strategy.”

Benchmark Pricing for October 2023 Victoria Real Estate Market Stats

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single-family home in the Victoria Core in October 2022 was $1,257,100. The benchmark value for the same home in October 2023 increased by 3.9 percent to $1,305,900, which is down from September’s value of $1,312,200. The MLS® HPI benchmark value for a condominium in the Victoria Core area in October 2022 was $575,300, while the benchmark value for the same condominium in October 2023 increased by 1.8 percent to $585,600, which is down from the September value of $589,600.

October 2023 Real Estate Market Stats

 

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Original Source: VREB