Increases were particularly notable in suburbs and smaller communities
While interest rates have been on the rise for the past few months, the Canadian housing market continued to see price growth during the first six months of this year, according to the latest “Price Per Square Foot” survey by CENTURY 21 Canada.
The increases were particularly notable in suburbs and smaller communities outside metropolitan centres, spurred by a flight from the mounting unaffordability of the Greater Toronto Area and Greater Vancouver regions.
“While some markets have cooled after the boom that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, prices overall have continued to remain elevated for the start of the year,” CENTURY 21 said.
Long-term growth is also expected to continue despite fears surrounding higher interest rates.
“The highest point of the boom may have passed, but the trend is still towards higher prices, especially in suburbs where younger and first-time home buyers are looking to escape competitive metropolitan areas now that remote work has become more common,” said Brian Rushton, COO of CENTURY 21 Canada.
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Rushton said that more volatility is not out of the question as the full impact of rate hikes will become clearer as the months go on.
“What will be interesting is to compare the data we’ve received from the first half of this year with the data we gather in 2023 to see how the rising rates impact the market for the next six months,” Rushton said.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, we’re going to keep seeing how the market performs and whether or not it cools down after the frenzy of the past year. With inflation on the rise, folks may be less able to purchase but even a slight dip would only take us to the level of a few years back, possibly the 2018-2019 period.”
