Central Alberta residential sales continue to trail slightly behind last year's pace.
Through three months, 1,026 residential units of all kinds were sold, compared with 1,110 to the end of March 2024. Month-to-month numbers show a similar trend, with the 472 March sales down from 483 a year go, according to Multiple Listing Service statistics provided by the Central Alberta Realtors Association (CARA).
Those selling are getting good prices though. The average sale price was $443,553 last month, up 15 per cent from $385,699 a year ago.
Residential units that hit the market are not there long. The average days to sell has fallen to 43 from 51 a year ago and 61 in 2023.
Some communities are showing a strong surge in residential sales. There were 70 residential sales in Blackfalds last month, compared with 50 in March 2024. That is a 40 per cent increase and has contributed to a 14.6 per cent increase in average prices, which were $424,478 last month, compared with $370,292 in 2024.
Blackfalds sales were the hottest among 14 central Alberta communities surveyed, but several others were also up, including Red Deer where the 375 residential sales last month were up from 356 a year ago.
Sales were also up in Penhold where 14 residential units sold, up from 10 a year ago; Rocky Mountain House, where 21 sales were up four over last year; Clearwater County with 46 sales, up from 34; and Lacombe County where the 94 sales were ahead of last year's 87 through three months.
A number of communities have seen sharp declines in sales. Innisfail sales were down 56 per cent to 20 from 34 in 2024; and Sylvan Lake sales were down 34 per cent to 87 from 117. Stettler sales were down to 19 from 26 and Stettler County sales down to 27 from 41.
Central Alberta sales trends are similar to those province-wide. To the end of March, Alberta sales are down six per cent to 16,910 and March sales are down seven per cent (6,894) compared with March 2024.
Calgary has seen the steepest decline in year-to-date sales, which are down 17 per cent. Fort McMurray has had the strongest market with sales up 18 per cent through three months, followed by Grande Prairie at 14 per cent, Lethbridge up four per cent and Edmonton up one per cent. Medicine Hat sales are down four per cent.
Other central Alberta sales with (last year in brackets):
• Lacombe – 46 (50)
• Ponoka – 27 (30)
• Ponoka County – 47 (49)
• Red Deer County – 176 (213)
