Selling in Fall 2026: More Supply, More Competition, How to Adjust Your Price and Strategy
With 20,350 active listings in the CMA (+17%), selling takes more method. Six habits for setting your price, preparing your file and planning a realistic timeline, based on QPAREB and Centris figures.
More properties for sale, sales slowing, buyers comparing: the context calls for more method when selling. Median prices are holding, but competition between listings is growing. Here is how to adjust your price and your strategy, based on QPAREB and Centris figures.
In brief
- In the Montreal CMA, active listings reach 20,350 in Q3 2026, up 17% year over year (QPAREB).
- Inventory sits 18% above the ten-year average, and supply has been rising for 14 consecutive months.
- An average of 40 days for a single-family home and 61 days for a condo: property type matters as much as area.
- Province-wide, QPAREB notes that more sellers are lowering their asking price, and that demand is easing without causing a widespread price decline.
- In 11 of our 13 areas, active supply is higher than a year ago.
- 20,350
- active listings in the CMA (+17%)
- +18%
- inventory vs 10-year average (September)
- 40 days
- average time to sell a single-family home (CMA)
- 61 days
- average time to sell a condo (CMA, +13 days)
- $645,500
- median single-family price (CMA, +2%)
- 11 of 13
- areas where active supply is rising
What changes for a seller
With more listings, a buyer compares more before deciding. A property is not only selling against the average market: it is selling against similar listings on the same street, in the same area and in the same price range.
The data also show a contrast between property types. For example, over the last four quarters, the average time to sell a single-family home and a condo is respectively 33 and 60 days in Verdun, 48 and 68 days in Saint-Laurent, and 47 and 61 days in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (Centris). These averages promise nothing for your property, but they are a reminder that a condo takes more patience than a house.
Six habits for selling in fall 2026
- Set the price using completed sales, not asking prices: asking prices are the starting point of the negotiation, not the final price.
- Count your direct competitors: how many similar listings are active on your street, in your building or your area, and for how long?
- Prepare your file before going to market: title deed, an up-to-date certificate of location, tax bills, renovation invoices and, for a condo, the co-ownership documents.
- Plan a realistic timeline: an average time is a benchmark, not a promise for your property.
- Agree on a checkpoint in your listing contract: when, and on which criteria (showings, offers, competing listings), to review the price or the strategy.
- Review each offer in full: price, conditions, timelines, financing and occupancy date.
What the numbers do not say
CMA and area statistics describe the past. They do not say what your property is worth, nor how long it will take to sell. Two houses on the same street can sell at very different prices and speeds, depending on their condition, presentation and starting price.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a bad time to sell?
No one can guarantee that. Sales are down (-12% in Q3 across the CMA) and supply is up (+17%), but median prices edge up (+2% for single-family homes), according to QPAREB. The right time depends mostly on your project and how accurate your price is.
Should I lower my price?
Not automatically. The price should be consistent with recent completed sales and competing listings. If, after several weeks, you have few showings or offers, that is the signal to review the price and presentation with your broker.
How long does it take to sell?
In the CMA, the average time to sell is 40 days for single-family homes, 51 days for plexes and 61 days for condos in Q3 2026 (QPAREB). That is an average: your property may sell faster or slower.
Should I wait until spring to sell?
It is not that simple. The season plays a role, but your next step, your timeline, your financing and the condition of the property count just as much. A consultation lets you compare scenarios rather than relying only on the season.
Sources, method and limits
Sources: QPAREB (Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers, known as APCIQ in French) releases of October 2, 2026 (September) and October 14, 2026 (Q3), based on the Centris database; Centris public statistics by area, extracted on October 2, 2026. The remarks about sellers lowering their asking price and easing demand come from the October 14 release and apply to Quebec as a whole. Interpretation: Équipe Lefrançois.
Limits: "average time to sell" is an average number of days on the market, not a median. The CMA and our areas do not cover the same territories. These figures are neither a forecast nor financial advice, and do not replace a valuation of your property based on comparable sales.
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