Uncertainty weighing on housing market in Calgary, Cochrane, and Airdrie.

Courtesy of CREB®

Ongoing economic uncertainty, driven by tariff threats, has weighed on consumer confidence and impacted housing activity in Calgary, Cochrane, and Airdrie in March. This has caused an decrease in home sales in the Calgary area and a move toward more a balanced market both in Calgary and in the region.

Calgary Housing Market

Sales declined by 19 per cent year-over-year, totaling 2,159 units. Sales slowed across all property types, with the steepest declines seen in higher-density segments.

“It is not a surprise to see a pullback in sales given the uncertainty,” said Ann-Marie Lurie, Chief Economist at CREB®. “However, it is important to note that sales still remain stronger than anything reported throughout 2015 to 2020, where our economy faced significant economic challenges and job loss. Nonetheless, easing demand has been met with gains in new listings and rising inventories, helping our market shift back toward balanced conditions, following four consecutive years where the market favoured the seller.”

March reported over 4,000 new listings, causing the sales-to-new-listing ratio to drop to 54 per cent, low enough to support further inventory gains. Total residential inventory levels reached 5,154 units, and the months of supply pushed up to 2.4 months. While this is a significant change from last year, with limited supply options across all property types and price ranges, conditions reflect a better balance between a seller and a buyer today. However, the market significantly varies depending on location, price point, and property type.

Improving supply has taken the pressure off home prices following the steep gains reported over the previous four years. In March, the unadjusted residential benchmark price reached $592,500, relatively stable compared to both last month and prices reported last March. Both detached and semi-detached prices remain consistent with peak prices and continue to rise, while apartment and row-style homes continue to report prices slightly lower than last year’s peak.

Airdrie Housing Market

With 160 sales in March, first quarter sales were 395 units, 11 per cent lower than levels reported at this time last year. Easing sales were also met with a gain in new listings, causing the sales-to-new-listings ratio to fall to 57 per cent in March and supporting further gains in inventory levels. Last year at this time, there was limited supply available in the market compared to the sales activity. While the 398 units in inventory are much higher than the 164 units reported last year, with nearly two and a half months of supply, conditions are still moving toward more balanced conditions. Shifting away from the sellers’ market conditions has taken some of the pressure off home prices. In March, the unadjusted detached benchmark price was $651,300, up over last month and over two per cent higher than prices reported last year. Recent gains have narrowed the gap from the peak price of $657,400 reported in June 2024.

Cochrane Housing Market

Sales in Cocrane remained consistent with last year’s levels in March. After the first quarter, activity remained slightly higher than levels reported last year and well above long-term averages. New listings also improved, but thanks to the level of sales, the sales-to-new-listings ratio remained elevated at 67 per cent, slowing the growth in inventory levels compared to some areas. The 213 units available in inventory in March are a rise over last year’s low levels, but are consistent with long-term trends for the month. Improvements in inventory and stable sales did cause the months of supply to trend toward more balanced conditions, especially compared with the previous four years. This shift has slowed the pace of price growth in the town. In March, detached benchmark prices reached $686,800, a gain over last month and over five per cent higher than last year. While price growth has slowed over last year, the current March price does reflect a new unadjusted record high for the town.