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Fall statistics

Posted on: October 13th, 2026 by Chris Scott

Ottawa Real Estate Market Update – September 2026

Residential Market Activity

Ottawa’s real estate market continued to slow in September, with 1,010 homes sold, down 6.6% compared to September 2025. While sales increased slightly from August, overall activity remained below typical seasonal levels.

Between July and September, 3,336 homes sold, down 8.2% from the same period last year, making it one of Ottawa’s slowest summer markets in the past decade.

Sales declined across all major property types, with condominium apartments experiencing the largest drop at nearly 25% year over year.

Home Prices and Market Conditions

The average sale price was $685,640, down 1.0% from September 2025, while the median price was $625,000. The MLS® benchmark price was $623,500, down 2.2% from August, suggesting some underlying downward pressure on home values.

Inventory continues to rise, giving buyers more options and creating increased competition among sellers.

New Listings: 2,927, up 3.0% year over year
Active Listings: 4,813, up 7.9% year over year
Months of Inventory: 4.8
Average Sale-to-List Price Ratio: 97.5%
Median Days on Market: 27 days, up from 22 last year

How Are Different Property Types Performing?

Detached Homes: Benchmark price of $705,100, relatively unchanged year over year.

Townhomes: Benchmark price of $546,500, down 2.2% from last year.

Condominium Apartments: Benchmark price of $380,800, down 6.1% year over year. With 7.3 months of inventory, condos remain the softest segment of the market.

Regional Market Comparison

Ottawa’s suburban markets continued to lead the way in September, accounting for nearly 73% of all home sales. However, sales across the west, east, and south suburbs were down 8% compared to last year.

Ottawa’s west end remained the strongest-performing area, with just 3.7 months of inventory, compared to 4.3 months in the east and 4.4 months in the south.

Meanwhile, Ottawa Centre and rural areas experienced softer conditions, with higher inventory levels and slower sales activity, giving buyers more negotiating power.

Looking Ahead

As we move further into the fall market, the biggest trend to watch is the growing number of homes available compared to the number of buyers making purchases.

September saw a 38% increase in new listings from August, while sales remained relatively unchanged. This has created more competition for sellers and additional opportunities for buyers.

The condominium market continues to face the greatest challenges, while new construction sales have been gaining momentum, potentially drawing some buyers away from resale properties.

Looking ahead, most forecasts suggest modest price growth and a gradual market recovery rather than a significant rebound in the near future.

Our outlook: We expect buyers to remain cautious and pricing to play a major role in how quickly homes sell. As inventory typically declines later in the fall, October and November will give us a better indication of whether the market is beginning to stabilize or if softer conditions will carry into 2027.