Housing prices across Canada are set to keep rising throughout 2022, a new report suggests, with not even the prospect of higher interest rates expected to slow the trend.
According to the Royal LePage House Price Survey released today, the aggregate1 price of a home in Canada increased 17.1 per cent year-over-year to $779,000 in the fourth quarter of 2021. Canada’s real estate market has sustained another year of record prices, as strong buyer demand continues to outpace supply in almost every market from coast to coast.
“Like a bad dream that disrupts your sleep for months on end, we ushered in 2022 with a fresh round of pandemic restrictions designed to combat a new wave of infections. Asked to stay away from the workplace and unable to travel even locally for entertainment, thousands of Canadians have been redirecting their growing savings into improving living conditions, as the family home doubles as office, restaurant and schoolroom,” said Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage. “It has been a busy winter in the housing industry and a very busy spring looms ahead.”
The Royal LePage National House Price Composite is compiled from proprietary property data, nationally and in 62 of the nation’s largest real estate markets. When broken out by housing type, the national median price of a single-family detached home rose 21.1 per cent year-over-year to $811,900, while the median price of a condominium increased 15.8 per cent year-over-year to $553,800. Price data, which includes both resale and new build, is provided by Royal LePage’s sister company RPS Real Property Solutions, a leading Canadian real estate valuation company.
Soper says there was far more interest in larger homes due to the pandemic, which forced homes to become offices and classrooms in the age of remote work and learning. He predicts a “pendulum swing” will occur as Canada emerges from the impact of COVID-19, sparking interest in smaller condos again.
Canada’s chronic housing shortage pre-existed the pandemic and with growing household formation and more newcomers to Canada adding to demand, affordability threatens to erode again.
“Everywhere, in our largest urban centres, and in the nation’s small and medium-sized towns and cities, new homes are not being built fast enough to satisfy growing demand,” said Soper. “In addition to the slow and expensive regulatory processes that burden builders, construction has been hampered by pandemic-specific challenges, including labour shortages and the increased cost of construction materials as suppliers struggle with supply chain issues. Some developers have been hesitant to commit to new projects.”
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