Montreal Housing Market Report
- The average home sold price reached $600,220 in April 2024, for a 6.1% annual increase.
- Montreal home sales are up 24.8% year-over-year, and new listings are up 4.5% compared to last month.
- Single-family detached median price increased by 6.5% year-over-year to $575k.
- Condo median price increased by 2.7% year-over-year to $401k.
- Plex median price increased by 4.7% year-over-year to $754k.
- May 8, 2024 Update: Today’s Lowest mortgage rates in Montreal is 4.79% for 5-Year Fixed
Montreal Housing Market Overview
In April 2024, the sales activity in Montreal’s housing market grew for the third month in a row, with the total sales reaching 4,688, the highest number of sales in a month since May 2022. Being a much more affordable market compared to Toronto and Vancouver, Montreal seems to be garnering the interest of buyers, similar to Calgary. Meanwhile, the anticipated mortgage rate cuts this year also seem to promote more activity in Montreal’s housing market, as many expect home prices to start rising again when the interest rates begin to fall.
Home Prices
April 2024’s average home sold price of $600,220 in Montreal’s housing market is a notable 6.1% growth over the average price of last April and an increase of 0.9% from the previous month. The average home price is only 1.3% below the all-time peak of April 2022 despite the interest rates now being significantly higher compared to then. Meanwhile, it is noteworthy that the price of a home in Montreal is now nearly 60% higher than the average price five years ago.
Sales and Inventory
4,688 homes changed owners in Montreal's housing market during the month of April 2024. This number reflects a staggering 24.8% growth in sales compared to April last year and a 4.5% increase compared to last month. However, the sales were slightly below the historical average recorded for April since 2000.
There were 18,932 active listings at the end of April 2024, an increase of 19% year-over-year and 1.2% from last month. There were 7,099 new listings on Montreal’s housing market in April 2024, marking a substantial rise of 33% year-over-year.
Montreal’s housing market was a seller’s market for the second month in a row based on the sales-to-new listings ratio (SLNR). This month, Montreal's sales-to-new listings ratio was 66%, a slight increase from the SLNR of 64% observed at the end of last month. An SLNR of over 60% generally means that the market is more favourable for the sellers.
Property Types’ Performance
Looking at the median prices and sales of Montreal’s property types.
- The median price of a single-family home in Montreal was $575,000 in April 2024, increasing 1.8% from the previous month and 6.5% year-over-year.
- The median price for condominiums increased by 2.7% year-over-year to a median price of $400,598 for April 2024. This is a 0.1% increase compared to last month.
- The median price for plexes for April 2024 was $754,000, up 4.7% year-over-year and 0.5% month-over-month.
Comparison with Other Cities
The average home prices in Montreal increased by 6.1% year-over-year, while Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary saw average prices increase by 0.3%, 0.6%, and 10.7%, respectively.
On the other hand, the transactions in Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary grew by 24.8%, 3.3% and 7.1%, respectively, year-over-year. However, transactions in Toronto dropped by 5.5% in the same time frame.
Meanwhile, based on the sales-to-new listings ratio, Toronto and Vancouver were in the balanced market territory in April 2024, while Calgary and Montreal were both seller’s markets.
Reasoning
Montreal’s housing market activity has been influenced by the mortgage rate market as well as the influx of migrants since the end of the pandemic. The Bank of Canada’s (BoC’s) rate hikes led to a significant increase in Montreal mortgage rates and Quebec City mortgage rates in 2022 and 2023, making borrowing much costlier than in 2020 - 2021. This resulted in a drop in demand for housing in Montreal in the past year.
However, markets expect the Bank of Canada to start cutting interest rates soon. Meanwhile, Montreal is also a more affordable housing market compared to Toronto and Vancouver, despite being Canada’s second-largest city by population. The expectations surrounding the rate cut and the relative affordability have caused sales activity in Montreal’s housing market to magnify recently.
The 2024 interest rate forecast now suggests that mortgage rates will start to decline by mid-2024. The market expectations continue to change almost every week, which has confused many homebuyers, and some are currently hesitant to withdraw from their TFSA or RRSP to buy a home in Montreal.
Home Prices in Montreal
Montreal Housing Market Statistics for All Property Types in April 2024
Average Sold Price and MLS HPI Benchmark Price
Total Transactions
Property Type Distribution
Market Overview for Single-Family Homes in April 2024
Median Sold Price
Transactions
Market Overview for Condominiums in April 2024
Median Sold Price
Transactions
Market Overview for Plexes in April 2024
Median Sold Price
Transactions
Glossary and Definitions
MLS® HPI: The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) is an index by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) that tracks the prices of homes in a neighborhood. It allows Canadians to quickly compare home prices across Canada and between periods of time without having to account for specific features of a property. Unlike market prices, which can fluctuate from month to month based on seasonal dynamics, the HPI provides a stable view tracks trends across a longer period of time. The HPI is reviewed every year in May to adjust for changes in the real estate marketplace.
MLS® HPI Benchmark Price: The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Benchmark Price is the HPI translated into a real-world price number.
Strata Insurance: Strata insurance is insurance used by a strata like a condominium to covers damages to common areas and assets and liability to the strata. It can also include fixtures built or installed as part of the original construction of each unit, even though these may not be common structures. The insurance can cover:
- Buildings and structures associated with the strata including common areas such as the roof, parking garages, driveways, gyms, pools, etc.
- Liability for any property damage or bodily injury suffered on strata property
- Any fixtures that are part of the "standard unit" or original construction of each unit
Strata insurance does not usually include personal items and appliances that are part of a condo unit. It also does not cover the damages made by individual unit owners, such as in the case of water damage caused by a unit owner. These are usually covered by personal condo insurance.
Property types
Detached home: A detached home is your standard single-family home. It is a residential building that stands alone and is separately titled or legally a single unit.
Semi-detached home: A semi-detached home is similar to a detached home, except it shares a wall with another home. This pair of homes must make up an independent building and each should be separately titled or legally two separate units. There can only be two homes in a semi-detached building.
Townhouses: A townhouse is the middle between a detached/semi-detached home and a condo apartment. Like detached and semi-detached homes, they are often single-family units that have their own land and may be attached to other units. However, like condo apartments, they typically have to pay co-ownership fees for maintenance and may share some common features with their neighbors.
Condo apartment: This category includes all apartments and condominiums. These are complexes of residential units with common areas such as hallways, parking lots, stairwells, etc. They can be low-rise, mid-rise, or high-rise buildings. Unlike townhouses, there are no parts of the lot (the land of the building) where access is reserved for only one owner or occupant. There can be privately owned units and spaces inside the building.
Plexes are multi-story buildings with two to four individual units, usually one on each floor. They are a mainstay in Montreal and other cities in Quebec. Each unit is usually individually accessible via an external entrance with higher floors connected by staircases.
Property Classes
Freeholds: A freehold is any property where the owner owns both the house and the land it is built on. Common freehold property types include: detached, semi-detached, some townhouses, and farmland.
Condominiums: A condominium or condo is any property where the owner owns the home (or unit) but shares ownership of the land and other improvements with a condominium corporation. Common condominium property types include condo apartments and some townhouses.
Leasehold: Leasehold describes the situation where different entities own the land and the structure built on the land. Owner of the buildings has leased the land and pay rent to their landlord while owning the building on the land.
Housing Markets Across Canada
Data sourced from the Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (APCIQ) and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Any analysis or commentary is the opinion of the analysts at WOWA.ca and should not be construed as investment advice. Please consult a licensed real estate professional before making a real estate investment decision. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos 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.