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Ontario inventory and the buyer’s market

Seller guide · Ontario

Is it a buyer’s market in Ontario? What 2026 inventory means for sellers

Ontario has piled up homes for sale, and buyers know it. If your house is sitting, the market is a big part of why. Here’s how to read the numbers and what they mean for you.

21% fewer

Ontario home sales than the 10-year average for September 2026, while listings run 39.8% above it.

CREA board statistics, Ontario Real Estate Association (province-wide), September 2026

By the Private Deals team · Updated

Brick two-car-garage house with a sign on the front lawn in Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa, Ontario

The short answer

  • Ontario had 5.4 months of inventory at the end of September 2026. The long-run average is 3.4 (CREA / OREA).
  • Active listings were 39.8% above the 10-year average. Sales were 21% below it.
  • Nationally, the sales-to-new-listings ratio was 48.8%, below its 54.7% long-term average and leaning toward buyers (CREA).
  • Local markets vary a lot. Waterloo Region had just 3.8 months of supply.
  • In this market, overpriced and dated houses sit. Price it right, fix what buyers see, or skip the listing: we can fund the updates and you pay at closing, or buy it as-is.

How many homes are for sale in Ontario right now?

At the end of September 2026, Ontario had 72,643 active listings (CREA / OREA). That’s 39.8% above the 10-year average for the month, and 17.8% above the five-year average.

Sales haven’t kept up. There were 13,340 sales in September 2026, down 8.3% from a year earlier and 21% below the 10-year average.

Prices have adjusted. The benchmark price was $736,300, down 3.9%. The average price was $791,691, down 4.3%.

Ontario housing market, September 2026

Months of inventory

5.4

Long-run average: 3.4

Active listings

72,643

39.8% above the 10-year average

Sales

13,340

Down 8.3% year over year

Benchmark price

$736,300

Down 3.9% year over year

Source: CREA board statistics, Ontario Real Estate Association (province-wide), September 2026.

What does months of inventory mean?

It’s how long it would take to sell every home on the market if no new ones were listed. You get it by dividing active listings by monthly sales.

Lower means a tighter market. CREA’s September 2026 release calls under 3.6 months a seller’s market and over 6.4 months a buyer’s market.

Ontario’s 5.4 sits in between. But it’s far above Ontario’s own normal of 3.4, which is why selling feels so much harder than it did.

  • Waterloo Region: 3.8 months. Still tight (Cornerstone, via CREA).
  • Detached homes usually have less supply than condos in the same city.
  • Check your own area and property type. Your local board publishes it monthly.

Months of inventory, end of September 2026

  • Ontario

    5.4 mo

  • Canada

    4.9 mo

  • Waterloo Region

    3.8 mo

  • Ontario long-run average

    3.4 mo

Ontario and its long-run average: CREA / OREA. Canada: CREA national release, October 16, 2026. Waterloo Region: CREA board statistics for the Cornerstone Association of REALTORS®. Source: CREA board statistics, Ontario Real Estate Association (province-wide), September 2026.

What is the sales-to-new-listings ratio?

The SNLR compares homes sold with new homes listed in the same month. High means buyers snap up new listings. Low means listings pile up.

Canada’s SNLR was 48.8% in September 2026 (CREA). The long-term average is 54.7%. CREA says roughly 45% to 65% is balanced, so the country is balanced but leaning toward buyers.

The GTA is softer. TRREB reported 5,040 sales and 16,500 new listings in September 2026. That works out to about 31%, firmly on the buyer’s side. It’s our simple calculation from unadjusted numbers, so treat it as a direction.

Homes are taking longer to sell

GTA homes that sold in September 2026 had been listed an average of 34 days, up from 33 a year earlier. Counting earlier listings of the same home, it was 51 days (TRREB).

Older brick and siding homes with front porches on a residential street in Kitchener, Ontario, in the fall
Older housing stock, Kitchener

What does a buyer’s market mean for sellers?

More choice changes how buyers act. Here’s what you’ll notice:

  • Overpricing hurts more. Buyers compare you with dozens of homes. Price above the comparables and you get skipped.
  • Condition matters more. Turnkey homes sell first. Dated ones stall. See should I renovate or sell as-is?
  • More conditions, more collapsed deals. Buyers rarely waive financing or inspection now.
  • Longer timelines. Plan for more time on the market and more carrying costs.

How do I sell my house in a buyer’s market?

You can still sell. The homes that sell are priced right and look good. If yours has been sitting, find out why with why is my house not selling?

If it’s condition, you don’t have to pay for the work yourself. With renovate before selling, pay at closing, we fund and manage the updates. You repay the cost plus a fee from the sale at closing. Terms are set per home, with an optional cash-offer backstop.

Rather not list at all? We buy houses as-is, with no showings and no financing condition. Start on our house not selling in Ontario page, or get an offer.

Close-up of a For Sale sign on a front lawn

Frequently asked questions

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Private Deals buys homes directly and is not a real estate brokerage. Talk to a lawyer before you sign anything.

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Is It a Buyer’s Market in Ontario? 2026 Inventory Explained | Private Deals