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Preparing a home for sale is about more than making it look attractive. Strategic improvements can address visible flaws, improve functionality and create a move-in-ready impression. Kitchens and bathrooms are often worthwhile areas to update, while smaller changes such as new hardware, lighting, paint and cohesive flooring can refresh a property without the cost of a major renovation. Storage areas, including closets, pantries and mudrooms, can also improve buyer perception by making a home feel more functional.

Not every renovation delivers a strong return. Highly personalized designs may appeal to one homeowner but limit the property's appeal to future buyers. Expensive finishes that exceed the standards of the surrounding neighbourhood can also fail to translate into a higher sale price. Features such as swimming pools may be particularly polarizing, with some buyers viewing them as an asset and others seeing them as a maintenance concern. Homeowners should therefore consider market expectations and comparable properties before committing to major upgrades.

The strongest renovation strategy balances personal enjoyment with future resale value. Homeowners can benefit from living in a property before undertaking major projects, particularly in areas such as the kitchen, where everyday use can reveal what actually needs to change. Restoring a more practical layout can also broaden the buyer pool; for example, converting an oversized bedroom back into two rooms may make a property more attractive to buyers seeking an additional bedroom. Ultimately, renovations are most effective when they improve appearance and functionality while remaining appropriate for the home and neighbourhood.

Canada’s housing market continued its gradual shift toward balance in July 2026, with national home sales increasing 0.5% from June and marking a fourth consecutive monthly gain. Despite the improvement, actual sales remained 5.3% below July 2025 levels. New listings declined 1.6% for a third straight month, bringing the national sales-to-new-listings ratio to 51.3%, closer to the long-term average of 54.7%. This suggests that supply and demand are moving toward more typical market conditions across much of the country.

Housing inventory also remained relatively stable, with 205,388 properties listed for sale at the end of July, just 0.6% higher than a year earlier and close to the long-term average. National inventory stood at 4.7 months; the lowest level recorded so far in 2026 and slightly below the long-term average of five months. While some regions remained closer to seller-friendly conditions, markets across the Prairies, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Ontario and British Columbia have generally been moving toward more balanced conditions. Even areas that began the year in buyer-friendly territory have shown signs of returning closer to historical norms.

Home prices were largely stable during the month. The national MLS® Home Price Index edged up 0.1% from June, marking its first monthly increase since November 2024, while remaining 3.3% below July 2025 levels. The pace of annual price declines has been narrowing since the start of the year. The national average home price reached $674,819 in July, up 0.2% from the same month last year. Overall, the combination of steadier prices, moderating inventory levels and improving supply-demand balance points to a housing market that is gradually returning to more normal conditions.

Canada’s wildfire crisis is becoming impossible to view as a distant environmental story. With hundreds of fires burning across the country, from the Northwest Territories and Prairies to British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Labrador, the impact is being felt far beyond the flames. Smoke is affecting communities across Canada and making headlines around the world, but behind the statistics are families facing evacuations, damaged homes and disrupted lives.

For many Canadians, climate change is no longer an abstract issue. In Kelowna, British Columbia, major wildfires have forced residents to prepare for evacuation, welcome displaced families and watch anxiously as fires move toward neighbourhoods. Experiences like these demonstrate that climate-related risks are increasingly part of everyday life—and increasingly part of decisions about where Canadians choose to live.

That is also changing conversations in real estate. REALTORS® are hearing more questions about wildfire and flood risk, while homeowners are dealing with rising insurance costs and concerns about future coverage. The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that by 2030, as many as 750,000 new homes could be built in areas at high risk of flooding and wildfire, making climate resilience an increasingly important consideration for buyers, sellers and communities.

As these risks grow, REALTORS® have an important role to play in helping clients understand the questions that matter. That might include reviewing flood maps, considering wildfire-resilient features, or discussing how climate risks could affect insurance, maintenance costs and long-term property value. To support this evolving role, the Canadian Real Estate Association introduced the Canadian Certified Green Representative (CCGR) certification in 2025, providing practical knowledge related to climate resilience, environmental hazards, energy efficiency and sustainable housing.

Building safer and more resilient communities will require collaboration among governments, industry, communities and housing professionals. As Canadians increasingly consider climate risk alongside affordability, location and lifestyle, REALTORS® can help ensure clients have the knowledge and resources they need to make informed decisions about where they live, invest and build their futures.

British Columbia’s effort to address its growing stock of unsold condos is raising questions about whether the initiative is truly aimed at creating affordable housing or protecting the broader real estate market. Under the $1.45-billion plan, governments and private investors would purchase as many as 2,200 completed units and make them available through a rent-to-own model.

The initiative initially drew attention because it was announced with very few details as part of a broader government announcement. More information emerged a week later, when officials confirmed that both levels of government would contribute $150 million, putting $300 million in taxpayer funds toward the purchases. The remaining financing is expected to come from investors, making the structure similar to a comparable condo-buying initiative in Ontario.

The program comes as British Columbia faces a substantial inventory of completed condos that have yet to find buyers. Government and housing data show that thousands of completed units remain unsold across the province, with a large concentration in the Metro Vancouver area. However, the program is expected to focus mainly outside Vancouver, where condo prices are generally lower. Supporters say bulk purchases could secure discounts and create opportunities for households to enter the market without a traditional down payment.

Critics argue that purchasing a large share of the province’s unsold inventory could effectively establish a floor beneath declining condo prices. They question whether the units would actually be affordable for ordinary households, particularly if prices remain above $600,000 even after discounts. There are also concerns that the program could protect developers and lenders from losses associated with weak sales, while providing affordable housing to only a relatively small number of households.

The rent-to-own component has also attracted skepticism. Critics say the model may not necessarily lead to homeownership if participants remain unable to qualify for a mortgage once the rental period ends. At the same time, supporters of the broader intervention argue that stabilizing the condo market could prevent deeper problems for developers, lenders and the wider provincial economy. Ultimately, the debate centers on whether the program will meaningfully expand affordable homeownership or primarily prevent further declines in the housing market.

Calgary’s rapid population growth in recent years has helped drive strong demand for housing, but the resale market is now showing signs of moving toward more balanced conditions.

A recent analysis of population trends and housing activity found that Calgary experienced one of the highest population growth rates among major Canadian markets between 2023 and 2025, increasing by about 9 per cent. However, as the pace of growth begins to slow, pressure on the resale market has also eased.

The city’s sales-to-new-listings ratio, a key measure of housing demand compared with available supply, suggests a more balanced environment. A ratio in the mid-50 per cent range generally indicates that neither buyers nor sellers have a major advantage, marking a shift away from the highly competitive conditions seen in previous years.

Experts say the change reflects a return to more typical market conditions after a period of unusually strong demand and limited inventory. Increased housing supply, combined with steadier demand, has created more opportunities for buyers, particularly those entering the market for the first time.

Lower prices in some areas and improved negotiating power are helping attract more first-time buyers. However, conditions vary widely by neighbourhood and property type. Single-family homes in more affordable price ranges remain in high demand and limited supply, while condos and townhomes are seeing more available inventory, giving buyers additional choices.

Overall, Calgary’s housing market is transitioning from a period of rapid growth and intense competition toward a more stable environment, with different segments experiencing different levels of demand.

Calgary’s housing market continued its seasonal slowdown in July, with both sales and new listings declining from June as buyers and sellers adjusted to typical mid-summer conditions. A total of 1,904 homes changed hands during the month, down nine per cent from a year earlier, while 3,323 new listings represented a 15 per cent annual decline. The sales-to-new-listings ratio held steady at 57 per cent, reflecting a market that remains balanced overall despite softer activity.

 The city’s benchmark residential price eased to $569,200 in July, slipping slightly from June and sitting two per cent below last year’s level. Apartment condominiums continued to experience the sharpest correction, with benchmark prices falling more than eight per cent year over year as elevated inventory and a large pipeline of new apartment construction weighed on the market. Detached homes remained comparatively resilient, posting a modest annual decline of less than two per cent, with the largest price adjustments occurring in Calgary’s North East and North districts.

 According to the Calgary Real Estate Board, the shift in market conditions reflects the combined impact of several years of strong housing construction and a slowdown in international migration, particularly affecting higher-density housing. More than 17,000 apartment-style units remain under construction across the city, contributing to increased supply, softer rental conditions and continued downward pressure on condominium prices. Despite weaker demand this year, overall market activity remains stronger than levels experienced during the downturn between 2015 and 2019. 

Market conditions varied by property type. Detached and semi-detached homes continued to benefit from relatively balanced supply, although detached sales slipped to 1,012 units and months of supply approached three months. Semi-detached prices remained largely stable at $691,000, while row housing experienced growing signs of oversupply, with benchmark prices declining six per cent year over year to $418,500. Apartment condominiums remained firmly in buyers’ market territory, with nearly five months of supply and benchmark prices falling to $297,600, more than 13 per cent below their 2024 peak.