August 2026 statistics · Montreal CMA
On the Island of Montreal, one single-family home in three sold in August for more than 5% below asking. On the North Shore, thirty minutes away, it was one in ten. That gap decides whether your fall strategy should be patience or speed.
Sales fell 13% across the metropolitan area, and median prices still rose in all three property categories. To see where you can negotiate, look at how deals actually closed. This report compiles QPAREB data from the Centris system for the Montreal CMA and its six main areas.
The Montreal real estate market in August 2026, in four numbers
QPAREB released its August statistics on September 4. In the Montreal CMA, supply keeps growing while sales slow down:
| Category | Median price, Aug. 2026 | Year-over-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family | $650,000 | +3% |
| Condominium | $437,250 | +4% |
| Plex (2 to 5 units) | $856,000 | +2% |
Source: QPAREB via the Centris system, August 2026.
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Get the full August 2026 real estate market report
The numbers on this page are only part of the picture. The full report gives you, for each area:
- the Montreal CMA, the Island of Montreal, Laval, the North Shore, the South Shore, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Vaudreuil-Soulanges;
- month-by-month sales, listings and median prices for single-family homes, condos and plexes;
- sales and selling times by price range;
- the split between above-asking, at-asking and below-asking sales;
- selling time compared with the minimum, average and maximum of the last ten years.
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Camille Laberge, Assistant Director and Senior Economist at QPAREB, sums up the month: "With activity down and supply growing across the metropolitan area, the August results confirm that the Montreal residential market continues to rebalance." Economist Hélène Bégin adds: "The real estate market has entered a phase where buyers have regained some negotiating power, but also more reasons to hesitate."
The median price reacts slowly. The negotiation type shows right away who holds the leverage, and it varies a lot from one area to the next.
Where buyers negotiate: sales below asking price by area
Share of sales closed more than 5% below the asking price, August 2026:
| Area | Single-family | Condominium | Plex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal CMA | 16% | 12% | 23% |
| Island of Montreal | 33% | 17% | 24% |
| North Shore of Montreal | 10% | 5% | 20% |
| South Shore of Montreal | 14% | 9% | 31% |
Source: QPAREB via the Centris system, August 2026.
Why more listings don't guarantee a discount
South Shore condos show it best. Listings jumped 43% in a year and sales dropped 26%. On paper, buyers should have the upper hand. In practice, 89% of deals closed at asking price, and the median price held at $400,000 without moving a dollar.
The reason is time on market. These condos sell in 51 days, against a ten-year August average of 60 days. Sellers find a buyer faster than their segment's norm, so they have no reason to give ground. You get a discount when selling time runs past that historical norm. As long as it stays below, even a 40% jump in supply gives you no leverage.
Three segments opening up to buyers
High-end single-family homes on the Island of Montreal
Above $1,230,000, 89 homes sold on the island in August, 6% more than a year earlier. Yet average time on market reached 100 days, 28 more than in August 2025. This segment gives buyers the most room to negotiate in the region, and its sales volume is growing.
Condos downtown and in the Sud-Ouest
According to Camille Laberge, these two areas "now show the highest listing levels ever recorded in the system, and condo prices there have been flat for several quarters." Across the island, condos count 6,789 active listings (+16%), an average of 72 days on market (17 more than a year ago) and 17% of sales below asking, with a median price steady at $475,000.
Plexes, especially on the South Shore
In the CMA, 23% of plexes sell below asking, compared with 16% of single-family homes and 12% of condos. On the South Shore, the share climbs to 31%, with supply up 44%.
Three segments that still favour sellers
North Shore single-family homes. They sell in 37 days at a median price of $600,000 (+4%), and 85% of deals close at asking price, despite 29% more listings than in August 2025.
South Shore condos. As shown above, sellers there give up nothing.
North Shore plexes. The only segment in the region where supply is shrinking: 234 listings (−13%). Plexes there sell in 46 days, eight fewer than a year ago, and the median price reached $778,750 (+16%), the largest increase in the CMA. On the South Shore, you negotiate a plex. On the North Shore, you have to find one.
What this means for you
If you're buying
The discounts already exist, in three specific segments. Waiting for a broad price drop this fall could cost you: none of the six main areas reaches the 70% overheating threshold, but all of them sit above 55%, the level that still favours sellers (from 57% on the island to 69% on the North Shore and in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu). Ask where to buy rather than when.
If you're selling
Compare your asking price with the historical norm for your own segment, not the regional average. A $600,000 house on the North Shore finds a buyer in five weeks. A house on the island above $1.2M takes more than three months. Those two properties call for opposite marketing strategies.
Request your free comparative market analysis to see where your property really stands.
If you're investing
Plexes combine two rare advantages: they negotiate better than the other categories, and they're selling faster. In the CMA, a plex sells in 52 days, four fewer than in August 2025 and well below the ten-year average of 64 days. You negotiate on the way in, on an asset that resells faster.
Mark your calendar: the policy rate
The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25% on September 2. The next announcement is October 28, alongside the Monetary Policy Report. With rates stable, your room to manoeuvre this fall will come from the segment you choose.
A market never opens all at once. It opens one segment at a time, and your strategy depends on which one you're standing in front of.
Dania Fawaz, MBA
Frequently asked questions about the Montreal real estate market
Are house prices falling in Montreal in August 2026?
No. In the Montreal CMA, the median price reached $650,000 for single-family homes (+3%), $437,250 for condos (+4%) and $856,000 for plexes (+2%) compared with August 2025. Sales fell 13% and active listings rose 18%.
Where can buyers negotiate the most in the Montreal area?
On the Island of Montreal, 33% of single-family homes sold for more than 5% below asking in August 2026. South Shore plexes follow at 31%. Above $1,230,000, homes on the island take an average of 100 days to sell.
Has Montreal become a buyer's market?
Not yet. The single-family overheating ratio ranges from 57% on the Island of Montreal to 69% on the North Shore and in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Above 55%, the market favours sellers. No area exceeds the 70% overheating threshold.
How long does it take to sell a property in the Montreal CMA?
In August 2026, a single-family home sold in an average of 42 days, a condo in 62 days and a plex in 52 days. On the Island of Montreal, single-family homes took 57 days; on the North Shore, 37 days.
Where do these statistics come from?
All data comes from QPAREB (Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers) via the Centris system, August 2026 statistics released on September 4, 2026. Changes are calculated against August 2025.
Sources: QPAREB via the Centris system, August 2026 statistics released September 4, 2026 (Montreal CMA, Island of Montreal, North Shore of Montreal, South Shore of Montreal); QPAREB press release of September 4, 2026; Bank of Canada policy rate announcement of September 2, 2026. Quotes translated from French.
