November this year tied exactly with November last year for the number of sales, with 37 sales (all property types from Canal Flats to Spillimacheen, including Invermere and Panorama).
Building on this steady performance, year to date at the end of November, we are at 510 sales for 2025, compared to 467 for 2024 (480 for 2023, 586 for 2022, and an unbelievable 877 in 2021). That puts the number of sales up 9.21% for the year.
However, this December feels really quiet. Scary quiet. So far to December 10th, we've had only two firm sales, while the same period last year had seven sales. The total for December 2024 was 19 sales, while December 2023's total was 12 sales. I think we might be headed more towards those kinds of numbers for this month.
Meanwhile, new listings year to date are almost flat, with 923 new listings to the end of November (compared to 922 for the same period in 2024). However, active inventory (what is available for sale) is way down. At the end of November, there were only 283 listings, and this includes building lots and some properties that have been on the market for a long time. This is down 20% from 354 active listings at the end of November 2024.As a result of this tightening inventory, I have been predicting that the days on market would start to decrease as older inventory gets absorbed, and finally, at least for one month, I am right! For November, the average days on market for sales was 88, which is down 14% from the 103-day average last November. However, year to date, days on market are still pretty stable, with the average being 100, and that is up 10.93% from year to date last year at 90 days.
Looking at pricing trends, averages can be skewed, especially when only looking at a month timeframe, but they can be more reliable when looking at almost a full year. For 2025 year to date, the average sale price of all properties is $518,361 compared to $519,224 in 2024. This makes sense based on my hands-on experience and gut feeling. There could be a few shifts: for example, some condos might be down slightly, and some single-family homes in Invermere might be up slightly. But generally speaking, prices are flat and haven't moved much in over a year and a half.
Similarly, sale price to list price percentage also hasn't moved very much: year to date at 94.19% compared to 93.95% last year.
Moving forward, there were a number of new listings so far in December, so the numbers for active inventory will be up a bit. But my experience so far with new listings is that they are not getting much attention. Typically, right before Christmas is a very slow time for buyer activity. People are busy and occupied, weather and roads aren't great, and days are short.
But... starting right around January 2nd, lots of people start thinking about summer 2026 and their goals for the year, and slowly, the days start getting longer. It will be fascinating to see what the buyer demand and activity are like in 2026. However, one way to look at the Invermere/Columbia Valley & Area Real Estate market is a bit like the bighorn sheep in Radium... slow-moving, stubborn, and not always logical.
Given these market realities, my best guess for 2026: a bit more of the same. Flat prices, some sellers trying unsuccessfully to push prices higher, and some buyers trying unsuccessfully to low-ball. Don't expect any dramatic ups or downs. If you want to speculate, go to the stock market or the casino. Buy because you love it. Sell because it is the right time for you. Don't sweat a few dollars or try to time it perfectly.
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