Ottawa home sales held near August levels in September, edging slightly higher rather than declining as they typically do at this point in the year. At the same time, new listings rose much more sharply than usual, giving buyers greater choice and shifting market conditions further in their favour.

“Ottawa’s suburban areas remained the main engine of activity in the housing market, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all September sales and continuing to shape the citywide result,” said OREB President Tami Eades. “At the same time, the downtown and rural areas continue to see more volatility with a widening gap between the number of homes coming onto the market and the number selling.”