Real estate sales in Centre Wellington & area continued to trend behind 2025 levels in March, as buyers remained hesitant – and many sellers delayed listing as well – which also affected overall activity levels.

Having said that, even though it’s a slower market, we are seeing multiple offers on some properties (which stand out due to price, location or features – or a combination of all).

An observation to note: In Guelph (which has more sales data to analyze vs the current low sales #’s in CW), lower priced real estate dominates sales activity – emphasizing affordability remains a big issue.

85% of all recent sales there were under the $1 million price point (keep in mind over 50% of active listings in Guelph are priced OVER $1 million).

Southwestern Ontario and the GTA as well as the greater Vancouver area real estate markets continue to struggle, whereas markets like Newfoundland are actually seeing strong activity AND price increases – again showing affordability is an important part of the puzzle.

At the time of writing my article, there were 155 homes actively for sale in Centre Wellington – which is somewhat lower than the peak inventory levels we have seen over the past couple years. And of those, a disproportionate number are in newer subdivisions.

As I touched on before, we need more listings in the older parts of Elora and Fergus – and more rural listings (that are priced right of course).

One of the challenges we face is sort of a disconnect between what is on the market and what buyers are looking for. While price is the most important factor for many – buyers are avoiding certain types of housing even though they might be at lower price points.

And yes, stacked townhomes would be one of those property types. On another front, older sellers looking to downsize are finding it difficult to find appropriate homes at a price that makes sense to them financially.

We certainly need more options for an aging population. So, whether it’s first time buyers or retirees – our housing market is challenging.

Another challenge in our market is for those looking to upsize. For many, it’s hard to afford to upsize when you are experiencing decreasing equity in your current home/condo due to falling prices.

On the other hand, if you are fortunate enough to have built equity over time and have the financial ability/income to upsize, since the upper end of the market has suffered more in absolute dollar terms compared to lower priced homes, there are good opportunities for you.

I can say more buyers are out there looking right now – so with the nicer weather finally coming – we will see more activity over the next few months – even with all the geo-political activity going on – and higher gas prices.

However, if activity remains below 2025 levels in April and May, that will not be good news – and downward pressure on pricing will continue.

If you are thinking of selling, the next 90 days is when most activity will occur in 2026. So now is the time to list. If you have been on the market over a couple months and haven’t sold yet, now is the time to adjust your price to reflect current market conditions and re-list as a brand new listing so you get the most eyes on your property at a strategically important time.

Until next month,

George