Calgary, April 2, 2012 City of Calgary residential sales continued to rise in March 2012, reaching 2,167 units, an increase of 12.6 per cent over last March.
The rise in activity is related to the continued improvement of our economy and consumer confidence, as some concerns regarding the global economy have eased, says Ann-Marie Lurie, CREB® chief economist.
After the first quarter of 2012, sales are up by 7.3 per cent over the same time last year. While the increase is significant, when compared to historic activity, residential sales continue to remain below the long-term trend. Monthly new listings remain slightly lower than last year, whereas year-to-date figures show 7.2 per cent fewer listings have come onto the market in the first quarter of this year.
While the number of listings for the first quarter of 2012 remains low compared to last year, the level of decline has lessened, says Bob Jablonski, president of CREB®; therefore pointing to the fact that those people who have been on the fence are starting to list their homes, and this trend is expected to continue.
The year-over-year decline in new listings, combined with improving sales, has pushed down inventory levels to 5,092 units from 5,866 last year, as well as months of supply. However, as Jablonski notes, it is not uncommon for the months of supply to decline in March as we transition from the winter season to the spring season.
Recently, the tightening supply has brought about much discussion of multiple offers on houses. It is important to note that multiple offers can happen during any market with a well priced listing or a unique property, says Jablonski. New listings coming onto the market at a good price are generating a lot of activity, but year-over-year index price growth for the typical home in Calgary in March was 2.9 per cent, which is considered a normal range. Also, the sales-price to list-price ratio does not reflect levels recorded during the peak of the market, when there were supply shortages, Jablonski adds.
Single family homes continue to record strong activity, with sales increasing by 10.3 per cent at the end of the first quarter.Meanwhile, quarter totals for listings of single-family homes remain 8.3 per cent lower, resulting in a tightening of supply. The benchmark price reached $433,500, while the MLS® Home Price Index points towards a price growth of 3.6 per cent compared to last year.
The apartment condominium market continues to exhibit lower sales, with 782 sales recorded in the first quarter of 2012, a decline of 2.1 per cent compared to last year. However, March sales activity did post a 7.2 per cent gain over last year and is closer in line with typical March sales in this sector. New listings recorded a year-over-year improvement of 9.1 per cent for the month of March, but still remain 2.3 per cent lower than last year at the end of the first quarter. Despite the monthly rise in new listings, inventories continue to decline. Overall market conditions continue to favour the buyer.
The condominium apartment and townhouse benchmark price for the month of March was $247,800 and $293,600, respectively. While the apartment index price has remained relatively stable compared to last year, the condominium townhouse index recorded a modest improvement of 1.96 per cent over last year.
The single family market continues to lead the housing growth in both sales activity and pricing, and the condominium market appears to have turned the corner as well, Jablonski concludes. Overall, the Calgary real estate market continues to move in the right direction, with all indicators pointing towards stable growth and a move towards typical levels of activity.
About CREB®
CREB® is a professional body of more than 5,100 licensed brokers and registered associates, representing 243 member offices. CREB® is dedicated to enhancing the value, integrity and expertise of its REALTOR® members. Our REALTORS® are committed to a high standard of professional conduct, ongoing education, and a strict Code of Ethics and standards of business practice.
For Calgary Metro, CREB® statistics include only Zone A, B, C and D for properties located in Calgary. Furthermore, all historical data has been adjusted to the most current information.
Any use or reference to CREB® data and statistics must acknowledge CREB® as the source. The board does not generate statistics or analysis of any individual member or companys market share.
Average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centres comprised of widely divergent neighbourhoods, or account for price differentials between geographical areas. All MLS® active listings for Calgary and area may be found on the boards website at www.creb.com.
CREB® is a registered trademark of the Calgary Real Estate Board Cooperative. The trademarks MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are owned by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA. The trademarks REALTOR® and REALTORS® are controlled by CREA and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA, and subsequently the Alberta Real Estate Association and CREB®, used under licence.
