Late Summer Brings More Choice, Fewer Sales & a Market That Rewards the Right Strategy
August in the Columbia Valley is hard to beat. Lake Windermere is still warm, golf season is in full swing, the trails are busy, and there’s just enough coolness in the evening air to remind us that fall isn’t far away.
The real estate market also began showing signs of a late-summer shift.
August saw fewer sales and fewer new listings, while buyers had considerably more inventory to choose from than they did a year ago. At the same time, the average sale price jumped significantly—but that number needs some context. A handful of higher-end sales had an outsized impact on the monthly average.
The bigger story is one we’ve been watching develop throughout the summer: buyers have more choice, negotiations are becoming more important, and sellers need to be increasingly strategic with pricing and presentation.
Market Snapshot – August 2026
35 Residential Properties Sold — down 28.6% from August 2025
45 New Listings — down 19.6%
294 Active Listings at month-end — up 18.6%
Average Sale Price: $708,449 — up 34.8%
Average Days on Market: 92 days — down approximately 6% year-over-year
Average Sale-to-List Price Ratio: 92.2%
Months of Inventory: 9.19 months
Year-to-Date Sales: 274 — down approximately 18% from 2025
Buyers Have More Choice Heading Into Fall
Inventory continues to be one of the most important stories in the Columbia Valley market.
At the end of August, there were 294 active residential listings, compared with 248 at the same time last year—an increase of 18.55%.
Inventory did ease slightly from the 304 properties available at the end of July, but we're still sitting above the five-year August average of 276 active listings.
For buyers, that's good news.
More inventory means more opportunity to compare properties, take a little more time with decisions and, depending on the property and price range, negotiate on price and terms.
For sellers, however, it means your property has more competition.
Simply putting a home on the market and waiting for a buyer is becoming less effective. Pricing, presentation, professional photography, video, online exposure and understanding the competition are increasingly important.
Sales Activity Slowed in August
There were 35 residential sales in August, down from 49 during August 2025 and below the five-year August average of 43 sales.
We're seeing the slowdown on a year-to-date basis as well. Through the end of August, 274 properties had sold in 2026, compared with 334 over the same period last year—a decline of almost 18%.
That's an important distinction when interpreting the market.
The Columbia Valley isn't experiencing a lack of properties for sale. Instead, we're seeing more inventory competing for fewer transactions.
That gives buyers more leverage and makes accurate pricing increasingly important for sellers.
Average Sale Price Jumps — But There's More to the Story
At first glance, one statistic jumps off the page.
The average residential sale price increased from $525,623 in August 2025 to $708,449 in August 2026, an impressive 34.8% increase.
Does that mean the average Columbia Valley home suddenly increased in value by nearly 35%?
No—and this is exactly why we need to be careful with monthly average prices.
Four properties sold above $1.175 million during August, with that group averaging approximately $2.25 million. Two of the 5+ bedroom sales averaged more than $3.2 million. Those higher-end transactions significantly influenced the overall monthly average.
Year-to-date numbers give us a more balanced perspective.
The 2026 year-to-date average sale price is $625,378, compared with $578,015 at the same point last year—an increase of approximately 8.2%.
That's still a positive number, but it's a much better example of why we always want to look beyond a single headline statistic.
Negotiating Room Has Increased
Another statistic worth watching is the sale-to-list price ratio.
Properties that sold in August achieved an average of 92.19% of their final asking price, compared with 94.61% last August. That's also down from 94.88% in July and 96.15% in June.
That's a noticeable change over the summer.
It suggests buyers are becoming more comfortable negotiating and sellers are increasingly having to adjust expectations to get transactions together.
This doesn't mean every buyer should automatically write an aggressive offer. Great properties that are properly priced can still attract significant interest.
But it does mean both sides need to understand the comparable sales, current competition and how long a property has been on the market before deciding on a negotiating strategy.
More Than Nine Months of Inventory
The Columbia Valley finished August with 9.19 months of inventory, up almost 40% from the 6.57 months recorded in August 2025.
It's also well above the five-year August average of 7.65 months.
This is one of the strongest indicators that market conditions have become more favourable for buyers.
But there's an important caveat.
There isn't one Columbia Valley real estate market.
Conditions can look very different between Invermere, Radium, Fairmont, Windermere, Panorama and Canal Flats—and even more different when comparing condos, single-family homes, recreational properties, acreages and luxury homes.
Price range matters too. The August report shows considerably different inventory levels depending on property value, with the $875,001–$1.2 million range carrying 15.43 months of inventory.
That's why broad market statistics are a starting point—not a substitute for looking closely at the specific property you're buying or selling.
Homes Are Taking Longer Than They Did in July
The average property that sold during August spent approximately 92 days on the market.
That's actually an improvement from the 98-day average recorded in August 2025, but it's a significant increase from the unusually quick 64-day average we saw in July.
Again, price range matters.
Homes selling between approximately $275,000 and $425,000 averaged just 55 days on market, while properties above $1.175 million averaged approximately 161 days.
For sellers, patience may be necessary—particularly in the higher price ranges.
But patience shouldn't be confused with simply waiting.
If a property isn't generating showings or offers, we need to understand why. Sometimes that's marketing. Sometimes it's presentation. And sometimes the market is simply telling us that the price needs to be adjusted.
What This Means for Buyers and Sellers
For Buyers
Late summer and early fall could present some excellent opportunities.
You have more inventory than last year, sales activity has slowed, and we're seeing increased negotiating room. Buyers who are properly financed and prepared to act may find opportunities with properties that have been sitting on the market through the summer.
That doesn't mean every property is a bargain. The best approach is to understand the recent comparable sales and current competition before deciding how aggressively to negotiate.
For Sellers
The market is still producing sales—but buyers have options.
With nearly 300 active residential properties available at the end of August, pricing above the market and hoping a buyer eventually catches up is becoming a riskier strategy.
The first few weeks of a listing remain incredibly important. Strong photography, video, digital marketing, presentation and—most importantly—the right initial price can make a significant difference.
If you've been listed throughout the summer without achieving the result you expected, September is a good time to reassess your position before heading into the traditionally slower late-fall market.
Looking Ahead to Fall
August's numbers don't point toward a market that's collapsing, nor do they suggest we're experiencing runaway price growth.
Instead, they point toward a more balanced and increasingly price-sensitive Columbia Valley market.
Inventory is higher. Sales volumes are lower. Buyers have more negotiating power. Yet properties are still selling, and year-to-date average prices remain ahead of 2025.
As the summer crowds begin to disappear and we head into September, we'll be watching inventory closely. New listings dropped substantially in August, with only 45 properties coming to market compared with 71 in July. If that seasonal slowdown continues, some of today's elevated inventory could begin working its way down through the fall.
For buyers, that means opportunity.
For sellers, it means strategy.
And for both, it reinforces something we've said many times: real estate is local. The numbers for the entire Columbia Valley can provide direction, but the value and marketability of an individual property ultimately come down to its community, price point, condition, competition and location.
If you're wondering what these changing market conditions mean for your home, recreational property or next purchase, we'd be happy to sit down, look at the numbers and help you build a strategy.
Geoff & Lindsey Sherlock
Sherlock Homes Real Estate Team | RE/MAX Invermere
📞 250-688-5151📞 250-409-6464
🌐 SherlockHomesBC.com
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