I’ve been selling real estate for over 26 years.
When I first started, our office used to tour new listings together after our weekly sales meeting. I was fortunate as typically I carpooled with three very experienced agents. It was a tough market at the time. Very few properties were selling. Sound familiar?
One morning on tour, an older Scottish agent named Sid mentioned he remembered a time when an agent couldn’t even get his sign on the lawn before offers were being written.
I laughed and said, “Sid… you’ve got to be on drugs.” I had never seen market conditions like that.
Well… I have since and more than once.
And that’s the lesson: we are always one day closer to a changing market.
What the Market Is Actually Saying (Not Just Headlines)
Right now in early 2026, the data tells a clear story.
In North Vancouver, active inventory is running roughly 35–40% above the 10-year average. Across Metro Vancouver, there are over 12,000 active listings, noticeably higher than this time last year.
Sales, meanwhile, are subdued. January sales were significantly below historical averages. The sales-to-active listings ratio across Metro Vancouver is hovering around the 9–10% range — traditionally considered buyer-leaning territory.
For context:
Below 12% = buyer’s market pressure
12–20% = balanced
Above 20% = upward price pressure
We’re clearly on the buyer-advantage side of that scale.
Benchmark prices have eased modestly year-over-year. Not a crash. Not panic. Just softer conditions and negotiating room.
From a leverage standpoint, this is one of the strongest buyer positions I’ve seen in years.
And Yet… Paralysis.
In North Vancouver, active inventory is running roughly 35–40% above the 10-year average. Across Metro Vancouver, there are over 12,000 active listings, noticeably higher than this time last year.
Sales, meanwhile, are subdued. January sales were significantly below historical averages. The sales-to-active listings ratio across Metro Vancouver is hovering around the 9–10% range — traditionally considered buyer-leaning territory.
For context:
Below 12% = buyer’s market pressure
12–20% = balanced
Above 20% = upward price pressure
We’re clearly on the buyer-advantage side of that scale.
Benchmark prices have eased modestly year-over-year. Not a crash. Not panic. Just softer conditions and negotiating room.
From a leverage standpoint, this is one of the strongest buyer positions I’ve seen in years.
And Yet… Paralysis.
Despite this, many buyers are stuck in what I call “paralysis by analysis.”
They’re trying to time the exact bottom.
Here’s the problem: we only know the bottom when we’re looking at it in the rearview mirror.
Look at COVID. No one anticipated how dramatically it would reshape real estate. People reassessed where they lived, how much space they needed, even who they wanted to live with. Remote work became mandatory in some industries.
And almost overnight, we were back in multiple offers.
The shift from hesitation to competition can happen far faster than most expect.
The Advantage Buyers Have Today
Right now buyers in North Vancouver have:
More selection than we’ve seen in years
Time to conduct proper due diligence
Negotiating leverage
The ability to include conditions without being immediately dismissed
Less emotional bidding pressure
When competition returns — and it will at some point — those advantages shrink quickly.
That doesn’t mean rushing. It means recognizing opportunity.
A Practical Perspective
For my more analytical clients, here’s how I frame it:
If:
Rates are stable
Inventory is elevated
Sales activity is subdued
And you are financially prepared
Then the conditions are favourable, even if the headlines feel uncertain.
The catalyst for change may be lower rates, improved economic confidence, global stability, or something no one sees coming. Markets rarely send a polite invitation before they shift.
We are always one day closer.
Avoiding the “Would Have, Could Have, Should Have”
Over the years, the biggest regrets I’ve seen rarely come from acting thoughtfully in a softer market. They come from hesitation when conditions were favourable.
This may not be the exact bottom.
But buyers today are negotiating from a position of strength.
And that doesn’t happen in every cycle.
If you’re even quietly considering a move in 2026, this might be the time to explore it seriously, not emotionally, not impulsively, just strategically.
No pressure. Just clarity.
Because I’d hate for anyone to look back a year from now and say, “We should have.”
They’re trying to time the exact bottom.
Here’s the problem: we only know the bottom when we’re looking at it in the rearview mirror.
Look at COVID. No one anticipated how dramatically it would reshape real estate. People reassessed where they lived, how much space they needed, even who they wanted to live with. Remote work became mandatory in some industries.
And almost overnight, we were back in multiple offers.
The shift from hesitation to competition can happen far faster than most expect.
The Advantage Buyers Have Today
Right now buyers in North Vancouver have:
More selection than we’ve seen in years
Time to conduct proper due diligence
Negotiating leverage
The ability to include conditions without being immediately dismissed
Less emotional bidding pressure
When competition returns — and it will at some point — those advantages shrink quickly.
That doesn’t mean rushing. It means recognizing opportunity.
A Practical Perspective
For my more analytical clients, here’s how I frame it:
If:
Rates are stable
Inventory is elevated
Sales activity is subdued
And you are financially prepared
Then the conditions are favourable, even if the headlines feel uncertain.
The catalyst for change may be lower rates, improved economic confidence, global stability, or something no one sees coming. Markets rarely send a polite invitation before they shift.
We are always one day closer.
Avoiding the “Would Have, Could Have, Should Have”
Over the years, the biggest regrets I’ve seen rarely come from acting thoughtfully in a softer market. They come from hesitation when conditions were favourable.
This may not be the exact bottom.
But buyers today are negotiating from a position of strength.
And that doesn’t happen in every cycle.
If you’re even quietly considering a move in 2026, this might be the time to explore it seriously, not emotionally, not impulsively, just strategically.
No pressure. Just clarity.
Because I’d hate for anyone to look back a year from now and say, “We should have.”
