October 2025 Real Estate Stats!

Let's compare these two headlines:"Sales are down 10.81%!" vs. "There were a total of 33 sales in the Columbia Valley (Spillimacheen to Canal Flats) for October 2025, compared to 37 for the same time the year before."

Factually, they are both true, but the second one provides a lot more context and is a lot more dull. The reality is that from month to month in a smaller market with a small number of sales, it is hard to read too much into slight ups and downs.Also, we could see a few more sales posted as sold in early November that were meant to be posted as sold in October, but perhaps conditions got extended.

To really understand what is happening in the market, however, you need to zoom out a bit more. Year to date is a good number to consider, and for 2025 we are tracking at 455 sales, compared to 409 for 2024 (which is up 11.25%).

Active inventory—what was available for sale during the month of October—was at 442 (down 16.45% from the year before). This number includes 58 new listings or re-lists (as well as those properties that ended up selling or listings that expired). The 58 new listings in October is interesting; this is down 3.33% from last year. At the end of October, the available inventory (what is still on the market) was down to 326 listings, which is down a big 18.3% from last October.

However, I had predicted that days on the market might start decreasing, and so far I have been wrong. For October, the average days on market for properties that sold was 103 (which is up slightly from 101 last October). Year to date the number is very similar at 102 days on market, but for year to date comparison to last year, that is up 11.71% from 2024.

By comparison, average sale price to list price percentage year to date is almost identical to last year, at 94.28%.

It felt like the end of September and most of October was slow—buyer demand seemed weak. But around the last week or so of October, it seemed like things started to pick up. As an example, I received three offers on listings that had been sitting for a while, and one of those turned into a multiple offer situation. The entire year has seen waves of activity and buyer mood going up and down. Generally speaking, sellers have been more stable and patient, although there are some price decreases and some properties coming off the market—many sellers are simply waiting (and in some cases refusing lower offers). That patience seems to be working.

Given the recent price reductions, and limited inventory and selection, it continues to look like pricing will be flat or stable. However, there are exceptions: a very nice home in the core of Invermere priced well or a home in Lakeview Meadows or Timber Ridge still has the potential to command a lot of interest and a quick sale (if not multiple offers). Additionally, there have been several quick sales in the lake access community of Askinook, and there continues to be very little selection for cabins and recreational properties on the east side of Lake Windermere.

Looking to the next few months: November of 2024 had a total of 36 sales, December 2024 was VERY quiet with 19 sales (but December 2023 was even worse with only 12 sales), and January of 2025 had 32 sales.Although typically November and December are not the best times to list properties, they can be strategically a good time to buy as some sellers have given up hope of selling until the spring. And I think we will save a fairly consistent number of sales over the next three months compared to last year.

Moving forward, I am still very curious about what the spring of 2026 will bring for the general mood, inventory, and pricing. My gut feeling is that we will see a number of new listings, but I don't know how active and healthy the market will be coming spring 2026?