Market update

The Average Price Jumped $40,000 This Week. Fewer Homes Sold. Here Is What Actually Moved.

A two-storey Georgian Bay home with dark board-and-batten siding, stone base and timber porch at dusk, warm light in every window under a blue and rose twilight sky
A Georgian Bay estate home at dusk.

Simcoe County recorded 149 sales in the week of August 24 to August 30, 2026, at an average sale price of $743,427, with 8.1 months of inventory. It remains a buyer's market. Sales fell 15.8 percent and the average price rose 5.8 percent in the same week, and the two numbers are telling one story, not two.

Key takeaways

  • Sales fell 15.8 percent to 149 while the average sale price rose 5.8 percent to $743,427. That combination is a change in which homes sold, not a change in what homes are worth.
  • Days on market rose 9 days to 48, and the list to sale price ratio slipped 1 point to 96 percent. A tightening market would not show both.
  • New listings fell by 42 to 419 and active listings slipped by 51 to 5,419. Roughly 320 listings came off the board without selling, more than two for every sale.
  • Months of inventory eased to 8.1. That is supply thinning, not demand rising.
  • Statistics Canada reported second quarter residential investment up 2.5 percent after two quarterly declines, with resale activity strongest in Ontario. The national spring was real; this week is a local pause inside it.

Sales fell 15.8 percent to 149. The average sale price rose 5.8 percent to $743,427. Read those together and it sounds like a market tightening. It is not.

The real read

When fewer homes sell and the average climbs this much in one week, the mix changed, not the market. The homes that closed skewed higher in price. The homes at the lower end waited.

Days on market rose 9 days to 48, and sellers took 96 percent of asking, a point lower than last week. A tightening market would not show both of those.

What it shows is that the upper end of Simcoe County kept transacting through a slow week while everything below it paused.

The supply side

New listings came in at 419, down 42. Active inventory slipped 51 to 5,419. Put that together with 149 sales and roughly 320 listings left the board without selling, more than two for every sale.

Months of inventory eased to 8.1, but that is supply thinning, not demand rising. Sales to new listings fell to 36 percent.

The bigger picture

Statistics Canada released second quarter GDP on Friday. Residential investment rose 2.5 percent after two straight quarterly declines, and the resale component rose most in Ontario and British Columbia. So the national spring was real. This week is the local reminder that a recovery in the quarter does not make every week a recovery week.

The same release noted mortgage interest costs grew at their fastest pace since 2024. That pressure sits on fixed rates, the ones priced off bond yields, not the overnight rate the Bank of Canada held on Wednesday. Carrying costs still decide who buys and when.

A buyer's market does not mean sellers lose

At 8.1 months of inventory buyers have selection and time. Yet the week's best evidence is on the seller side: well-positioned homes at the higher end closed while the broader market waited.

Price and presentation decide which group you are in.

What this means for you

Buying: the pause in the lower and middle bands is your window. Selection is wide, and a seller sitting at 48 days is listening.

Selling: if your home is in the upper band and priced to the evidence, this week says the buyers are still there. If it has been sitting, 48 days is the number to take seriously.

The week at a glance

MetricThis weekChange
Sales149down 15.8%
Average Sale Price$743,427up 5.8%
New Listings419down 42
Active Listings5,419down 51
Sales to New Listing Ratio36%down 2 points
Months of Inventory8.1down 0.1
Days on Market48up 9 days
List to Sale Price Ratio96%down 1 point

Common questions about this market

Is it a buyer's market in Simcoe County right now?

Yes. Simcoe County had 8.1 months of inventory in the week of August 24 to August 30, 2026, and any reading above 6 months is considered a buyer's market. Inventory eased slightly because supply thinned: new listings fell by 42 to 419 and active listings slipped by 51 to 5,419, while sales fell 15.8 percent to 149.

Why did the average price rise when sales fell?

The average sale price rose 5.8 percent to $743,427 in the week of August 24 to August 30, 2026 while sales fell to 149. On a sample that small, a move that size reflects which homes sold rather than a change in value. Higher-priced homes made up a larger share of the week's sales. Days on market rose to 48 and the list to sale price ratio slipped to 96 percent in the same week, which is not what a rising market shows.

How long are homes taking to sell in Simcoe County?

Homes that sold in Simcoe County in the week of August 24 to August 30, 2026 took an average of 48 days, 9 days longer than the week before. The figure describes homes that sold, not the 5,419 listings still active.

What should sellers in Midland or Penetanguishene do in this market?

Price to comparable homes that have sold in the last 60 days rather than to peak pricing, and invest in presentation before listing. In the week of August 24 to August 30, 2026, well-positioned homes at the upper end of Simcoe County closed while the broader market waited, and homes that sold averaged 48 days at 96 percent of asking.

Early September on Georgian Bay is when the fall market starts to form. If you are weighing a move in Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny, Tay or Wasaga Beach, send me a message and we will look at your street rather than the county average. If you have a home to sell, a free, no-obligation valuation is the fastest way to find out which band your home is in.

Frequently asked questions

Is it a buyer's market in Simcoe County right now?

Yes. Simcoe County had 8.1 months of inventory in the week of August 24 to August 30, 2026, and any reading above 6 months is considered a buyer's market. Inventory eased slightly because supply thinned: new listings fell by 42 to 419 and active listings slipped by 51 to 5,419, while sales fell 15.8 percent to 149.

Keep reading

By Jonathan Wallace, REALTOR®, Faris Team Real Estate, Brokerage. 705-433-2525. Figures are aggregated board statistics for Simcoe County and are approximate and subject to revision. Ask for current data for your specific area and property type before making a decision.

Text “Home” to 705-433-2525 to start the conversation.