Housing prices in Canada are expected to increase steadily in 2022, with inter-provincial migration continuing in many regions and a short supply of homes in those areas pushing up costs, according to Re/Max's housing market outlook report published last week.
Sale prices are projected to go up by 9.2 per cent on average across the country, the real-estate company estimates. It would follow an already “sensational” year in terms of sales and price appreciation, Re/Max's president says.
"In the history of our nation, I don't know of, certainly not in my tenure, of more than 95% of markets being in seller's market territory," he told CTVNews in a phone interview. "So, it can't be overstated enough how strong the market was in Canada in 2021."
That momentum will likely carry forward into next year, Alexander says, with 36 of 38 markets across the country poised to maintain their seller's status.
Another trend he suspects will continue is inter-provincial migration as investors look for more affordable places to set up shop. The ability to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has given some homebuyers the flexibility to shop in different places.
"Remote work has really allowed people to set up in ways that weren't possible before the pandemic," Alexander said. "We''e hearing of some people that have moved to a different province but still hold their job in the province they left."
The report indicates short supply in areas with high demand due to migration is a key factor in driving up the cost of real estate.
Despite prices seemingly set to continue going up, making home ownership more expensive for Canadians, the report says about half of residents across the country still view buying a house as a good investment option for next year.
"I don't think people are nervous at all," Alexander said of the real-estate market. "We surveyed a lot of consumers and more than half are confident that the market is going to remain strong for next year." Apart from outlining industry trends, the report breaks things down region by region in Canada, offering predictions and projections for different areas in the coming year.
In Western Canada, Calgary and Edmonton became seller's markets this year, a trend that's expected to continue into 2022. The report attributes this to heightened demand coming from homebuyers migrating from Ontario and British Columbia while supply remained low.
Cities such as Victoria, Nanaimo and Kelowna in B.C., along with Regina in Saskatchewan, also saw a boost due to incoming buyers searching for more affordability. Winnipeg is projected to remain a seller's market in 2022 and is expected to hold steady provided interest rates and inventory remain low.
Brokers in Ontario anticipate steady market activity and price growth in 2022, at least on average. Several regions experienced wild price appreciations across all property types this year, including Brampton (25 per cent), Durham (29 per cent) and London (30 per cent), while Toronto only saw a seven-per-cent increase.
All regions in Atlantic Canada are currently seller's markets, according to the report, and could see sale prices rise between five and 20 per cent next year.
The spike in demand seems to be driven by out-of-province buyers from Ontario moving to cities like Moncton, Fredericton, Halifax, Charlottetown and St. John's in search of more affordability. Although places like Charlottetown may cool off, sales prices in Halifax and Moncton are projected to increase by 16 and 20 per cent, respectively.
Anthony Vasquez-Peddie
CTV News Writer
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