Market update
Sales Rose 13 Percent This Week. Buyers Still Gained More Ground.
Like this article? Join the weekly newsletter
Simcoe County recorded 147 sales in the week of September 14 to 20, 2026, at an average sale price of $711,967, with 8.9 months of inventory. It remains a buyer's market. Sales picked up this week, and buyers still came out of it with more leverage than they went in with.
Key takeaways
- Months of inventory rose 0.6 to 8.9, the highest reading in six weeks and well above the six-month buyer's-market line.
- Sales rose 13.1 percent to 147, but 600 new listings arrived, up 41, and active listings grew by 71 to 5,407.
- About one new listing in four found a buyer. The sales-to-new-listing ratio improved 2 points to 25 percent.
- The average sale price fell 7.6 percent to $711,967, a shift in which homes sold more than a change in what homes are worth.
- Homes that sold took about 57 days, 11 more than the week before, and still traded at 96 percent of asking.
- Across Canada, August home sales fell 6.9 percent from a year earlier while new listings rose 3.3 percent from July, ending three straight declines (CBC News). More owners are listing for fall than buyers are absorbing.
The real read
More homes sold this week. 147 sales is a 13.1 percent jump, and after two soft weeks, that is real buyer activity.
The listing side moved faster. 600 new listings came on, 41 more than the week before, and active inventory grew by 71 to 5,407. Months of inventory rose 0.6 to 8.9.
That is the week in one line: buyers showed up, and sellers showed up in greater numbers.
The average sale price fell 7.6 percent to $711,967. That does not mean homes lost 7.6 percent of their value in seven days. A busier week changes which homes sold, and the average follows the mix. Read it with the sales count, not instead of it.
The supply side
For the second week in a row, the fall listing push outran buyers. At a 25 percent sales-to-new-listing ratio, three of every four new listings joined the board rather than leaving it.
With 5,407 homes available and 8.9 months of inventory, buyers are not short of options. They are short of reasons to rush.
The bigger picture
The same pattern is showing up across Canada. CBC News reported that home sales in August totalled 37,504, down 6.9 percent from a year earlier and down 0.7 percent from July on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. New listings rose 3.3 percent from July, ending three straight monthly declines.
Prices held. The national average sale price was $668,219, up 0.6 percent from a year earlier.
That is the Simcoe County story in national form. Owners are coming back to market for fall faster than buyers are, and prices are holding rather than breaking. What happens nationally typically reaches Georgian Bay 30 to 60 days later in our market, so a fall with more sellers than buyers is the setting worth planning around.
If you are buying, that means more homes to compare and more room to negotiate. If you are selling, it means the homes that sell are the ones priced for the market we are in, not the one we had in the spring.
A buyer's market does not mean sellers lose
147 homes sold this week at 96 percent of asking. Buyers are active. They are also selective.
Homes that sold took about 57 days to get there, 11 days longer than the week before. That is the cost of landing in the middle of the pack when buyers have 5,407 homes to compare.
The homes that move are the ones that give a buyer a clear reason to choose them: priced against the last 30 to 60 days of sales, and presented better than the listings around them. Everything else waits.
What this means for you
Buying: 5,407 active listings and 8.9 months of inventory means you can take your time, compare carefully and negotiate on price and conditions. Judge value by what homes have sold for in the last 60 days, not by asking prices.
Selling: You are competing with 600 new listings from this week alone. Price to recent sales, not to spring, and make the value obvious in the first two weeks. If your listing has been sitting, change something real before you ask the market the same question again.
The week at a glance
| Metric | This week | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 147 | up 13.1% |
| Average Sale Price | $711,967 | down 7.6% |
| New Listings | 600 | up 41 |
| Active Listings | 5,407 | up 71 |
| Sales to New Listing Ratio | 25% | up 2 points |
| Months of Inventory | 8.9 | up 0.6 |
| Days on Market | 57 | up 11 days |
| List to Sale Price Ratio | 96% | no change |
Common questions about this market
Is it a buyer's market in Simcoe County right now?
Yes. At 8.9 months of inventory for the week of September 14 to 20, 2026, buyers hold the advantage. Above six months is the usual buyer's-market line on this board read, and inventory rose 0.6 on the week.
Are home prices going up or down in Georgian Bay?
The average sale price in Simcoe County was $711,967 in the week of September 14 to 20, 2026, down 7.6 percent on the week. Weekly averages move with the mix of homes that happen to sell, so the steadier read is the list to sale price ratio, which held at 96 percent. Homes priced to the market are holding their value. The softness is at the margins, where listings are priced above recent sales.
How long are homes taking to sell in Simcoe County?
Homes that sold this week traded in about 57 days, 11 days longer than the week before. That number is easy to misread.
Days on market does not track whether the home had price cuts over the last year, or whether the seller cancelled and relisted. Every cancel-and-relist starts the clock at zero again. So a home that “sold in 57 days” often sat much longer in real life. Dig into the history and you will see plenty that were on the market for 180 to 500 days before the price finally moved into a range that brought a buyer. The 57-day print is the last chapter, not the whole book.
If you are comparing a sold home on your street, ask first: how long was it listed in total, and was it listed earlier at a higher price? That is the true read on how long the property was sitting.
What should sellers in Midland or Penetanguishene do in this market?
Price to the last 30 to 60 days of evidence, not to last spring, and do not settle for the middle of the pack. With 600 new listings arriving in a single week, buyers choose the most value for the money. That is what still gets you into the 96 percent list-to-sale group.
Does the national housing market matter for Georgian Bay?
It sets the backdrop. CBC News reported that Canadian home sales fell 6.9 percent in August from a year earlier while new listings rose 3.3 percent from July, and the national average price held roughly flat. Georgian Bay typically feels national moves 30 to 60 days later in our market. This week's local board showed the same pattern: more new listings than buyers, with homes that sold still trading at 96 percent of asking.
Early fall on Georgian Bay is when the next market forms. 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 see which band your home sits in.
Frequently asked questions
How long are homes taking to sell in Simcoe County?
Homes that sold this week traded in about 57 days, 11 days longer than the week before. That number is easy to misread.
Days on market does not track whether the home had price cuts over the last year, or whether the seller cancelled and relisted. Every cancel-and-relist starts the clock at zero again. So a home that “sold in 57 days” often sat much longer in real life. Dig into the history and you will see plenty that were on the market for 180 to 500 days before the price finally moved into a range that brought a buyer. The 57-day print is the last chapter, not the whole book.
If you are comparing a sold home on your street, ask first: how long was it listed in total, and was it listed earlier at a higher price? That is the true read on how long the property was sitting.
Weekly market hub — every Wednesday’s Georgian Bay numbers in one place.
Keep reading
- Weekly market hub
- Last Week's Inventory Dip Did Not Hold. New Listings Came Back Faster Than Buyers.
- What is your home worth in Georgian Bay?
- Selling waterfront in Tiny Township
By Jonathan Wallace, REALTOR®, Faris Team Real Estate, Brokerage. 705-433-2525. Figures are aggregated board statistics for Simcoe County for the week shown. They are approximate and subject to revision. Not intended to solicit properties already listed for sale. REALTOR® and MLS® are trademarks owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association. Ask for current data for your specific area and property type before making a decision.