What October’s numbers say
The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) publishes Centris statistics every month. October 2026’s came out on November 6.
On the South Shore, 749 homes sold in October, 16% fewer than a year earlier. The drop wasn’t even: 476 single-family houses (−11%), 219 condos (−24%) and 53 plexes (−23%).
At the same time, the number of homes for sale on the South Shore rose about 30% in a year, one of the biggest increases in the Montreal area along with the North Shore and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Across the whole area, 21,817 homes were for sale at the end of October, almost 20% more than in October 2025.
Prices hold, the balance shifts
Fewer sales and more supply doesn’t mean prices are falling. Across the Montreal area, the median single-family price was $640,000 in October (+1.6% over a year) and the median condo price $430,500 (+0.3%). Those prices have hardly moved.
What changes is who has the leverage. When there are more homes for sale than buyers ready to sign, each home waits longer, and a seller who waits becomes more flexible. That rarely shows in the month’s median price. It shows in the conditions the seller accepts.
According to the QPAREB, the recent rise in five-year fixed rates and the policy rate increase announced on October 28 could reinforce this trend in the coming months.
Why condos come first
Condo sales fell 24% on the South Shore, twice as much as house sales. That’s the market where buyers have the most choice.
Our own numbers point the same way. In Q3 2026, according to Centris, Brossard had 433 condos for sale for 153 sales, and a condo stayed on the market 62 days on average. October shows no turnaround: supply kept growing.
For single-family houses, the drop in sales is gentler. In areas where they were already scarce, like Saint-Hubert (about 3 months of inventory in Q3), a well-located house at the right price still sells quickly.
What a buyer can negotiate this winter
The price, of course, especially when a home has been listed for a long time. But when the seller has few other offers, the rest of the promise to purchase matters just as much.
The inspection: a real inspection condition, with enough time to book an available inspector, instead of an offer without inspection to jump the line.
The financing: a financing condition with enough days for your lender to confirm the loan on that specific home.
The date: a possession date that follows the end of your lease or the sale of your house, instead of the one that suits the seller.
The inclusions: appliances, curtains, light fixtures, storage. Small amounts, but a seller with only one offer on the table says yes more often.
Three moves to make the most of it
One: check how many days each home has been listed. On our prices page, we publish the list of homes whose seller has been waiting 60 days or more, and rank the areas by months of inventory.
Two: have your pre-approval in hand before you visit. A seller listens more readily to an offer with conditions when the buyer shows they can finance it. The Bank of Canada’s next announcement is scheduled for December 9.
Three: visit more, decide less fast. With 30% more choice than a year ago, comparing three homes before making an offer isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s the normal way to buy this winter.