CREA reports Canadian home sales climb again, set record for August

Photo: The Canadian Press

The Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales in August climbed 6.2 per cent compared with July to hit an all-time record for the month with gains led by the Greater Toronto Area and B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

Compared with a year ago, sales in August were up 33.5 per cent.

Home sales in Canada came to a near halt in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but have surged through the summer, helped by pent up demand and low mortgage rates. CREA says in addition to a record for August it was the sixth-highest monthly sales figure of any month.

Sales through the first eight months of the year have totalled 341,463 homes, up 0.8 per cent compared with the first eight months of 2019.

The national average home price also set another record in August at more than $586,000, up 18.5 per cent compared with a year ago.

Excluding Greater Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area, two of Canada’s most active and expensive housing markets, lowers the national average price by about $122,000.