What's Happening in the Ottawa Real Estate Market?

Ottawa Housing Market Overview

Ottawa’s housing market remained balanced in June 2026, following the typical seasonal slowdown that accompanies the start of summer. While home sales eased compared to both May and June 2025, market conditions continue to favour neither buyers nor sellers, with elevated inventory providing buyers with more choice while well-priced homes continue to sell.

The increased supply is affecting different property types in different ways. Single-family homes have remained relatively stable, while townhomes have experienced more fluctuation. Apartment-style properties (condominiums) continue to be the softest segment of Ottawa’s real estate market, with higher inventory levels and more pricing pressure.

Home prices reflected these mixed conditions. The average residential sale price in Ottawa reached $733,648 in June, representing a 1.3% increase year over year. Meanwhile, the median sale price declined 1.3% to $655,000, highlighting how the mix of homes sold continues to influence overall pricing.

The broader economic backdrop has become slightly more encouraging. The Bank of Canada held its policy interest rate steady in June, and Statistics Canada reported positive GDP growth in April after a contraction in March. However, uncertainty surrounding North American trade policy continues to influence buyer and seller confidence.

Overall, June reinforced that Ottawa remains one of Canada’s more balanced real estate markets. Inventory is shaping market conditions without creating widespread downward pressure on prices, and local market trends continue to vary significantly by property type.

Ottawa Home Sales

A total of 1,518 homes were sold through the MLS® System in Ottawa during June 2026, representing a 4.9% decline compared to June 2025. Sales also decreased from May’s total of 1,616 homes, although this follows the normal seasonal pattern as the spring market transitions into summer.

Breaking down sales by property type:

Single-family homes remained the most active segment with 879 sales, down 1.8% year over year.
Townhomes recorded 429 sales, a decrease of 7.3%.
Apartment-style properties accounted for 178 sales, declining 14.0% compared to last June.

These figures continue a trend that has developed throughout the first half of 2026. Demand for detached homes has remained relatively resilient, while townhomes and condominiums have experienced softer activity.

Year-to-date, 6,969 homes have sold across Ottawa, down 6.1% compared to the first half of 2025. Total sales volume reached $4.9 billion, representing a 6.2% decline year over year.

Although activity remains below last year’s pace, Ottawa’s housing market continues to see steady buyer demand despite higher inventory levels.

Ottawa Home Prices and Market Conditions

June’s pricing trends demonstrate how additional housing supply is being absorbed across Ottawa’s real estate market rather than creating widespread price declines.

New listings increased year over year, active inventory continued to grow, and the sales-to-new-listings ratio settled at 48.8%. Months of inventory rose to 3.3 months, up from 2.8 months in June 2025, keeping Ottawa firmly within balanced market territory.

Despite higher inventory, transaction conditions have remained relatively healthy:

The sale-to-list price ratio held steady at 98.5%.
Median days on market increased only slightly, from 19 days to 22 days.

These indicators suggest that buyers have gained more negotiating power, but properly priced homes continue to attract offers within a reasonable timeframe.

The differences between property types remain one of the strongest themes in today’s market.

Single-family homes continue to be Ottawa’s strongest segment, with only 2.8 months of inventory and the highest sale-to-list price ratio among major property types.

Townhomes have become more balanced as listings increased. Active inventory climbed 27.6% year over year, pushing months of inventory to 3.2 months.

Apartment-style properties remain the softest segment, with 5.3 months of inventory and weaker benchmark pricing than the broader market.

The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI), which adjusts for changes in the types of homes sold, further supports this trend:

Composite benchmark price: down 1.3%
Single-family benchmark: down 0.7%
Townhouse benchmark: down 3.9%
Apartment benchmark: down 6.0%

Rather than indicating a broad market correction, these figures suggest pricing pressure remains concentrated within the townhouse and condominium segments, while detached homes continue to demonstrate relative stability.

Ottawa Real Estate Market by Region

Regional data highlights that Ottawa’s housing market continues to be driven primarily by suburban communities.

The city’s three largest suburban submarkets generated more than 70% of all June sales:

Ottawa Suburb South: 382 sales
Ottawa Suburb West: 373 sales
Ottawa Suburb East: 328 sales

While Ottawa Suburb South recorded the highest number of transactions, Ottawa Suburb West showed the strongest market balance, posting the highest sales-to-new-listings ratio and the lowest months of inventory among all seven submarkets.

Ottawa Suburb East remained active but experienced increased inventory and lower sales compared to last year, providing buyers with more options.

Market conditions were more varied outside the suburbs.

Ottawa Centre recorded 143 sales and maintained higher inventory levels than the city-wide average. Ottawa Rural East was the only submarket to post year-over-year sales growth, while Rural West and Rural South continued to experience slower activity due to higher inventory levels.

These regional differences reinforce the importance of understanding neighbourhood-level trends rather than relying solely on city-wide statistics.

Ottawa Housing Market Forecast – What to Watch

As Ottawa moves through the summer market, inventory levels will remain one of the most important indicators to monitor. The key question is whether buyer demand can continue absorbing the higher number of available listings.

Important metrics to watch include:

Sales-to-new-listings ratio
Months of inventory by property type
Median days on market
Price trends across detached homes, townhomes, and condominiums

New housing construction also continues to shape Ottawa’s long-term outlook.

According to CMHC, Ottawa had 17,212 housing units under construction in May, including nearly 14,000 apartment units. Combined with slower population growth and fewer non-permanent residents nationally, this could influence future condominium supply as new developments are completed.

That said, completed but unabsorbed apartment inventory remains relatively low, suggesting there is no immediate oversupply concern. Future market performance will depend on whether buyer and rental demand continues to keep pace with new housing completions.

The rental market provides additional perspective. CMHC reported a 3.0% vacancy rate in Ottawa’s purpose-built rental market in 2025, while condominium rental vacancies remained extremely tight at just 0.6%. This indicates continued rental demand, particularly for condominium units, despite higher resale inventory.

Final Thoughts

June 2026 reinforced that Ottawa’s real estate market remains balanced, healthy, and increasingly segmented by property type. Buyers continue to benefit from greater selection and more negotiating room, while sellers who price strategically are still achieving strong results.

Detached homes remain the strongest-performing segment, while townhomes and condominiums are experiencing more competitive conditions as inventory rises. As always, local neighbourhood trends matter, making market expertise more valuable than ever for buyers and sellers navigating today’s Ottawa real estate market.

For homeowners considering selling, buyers entering the market, or investors evaluating opportunities, understanding your specific micro-market remains the key to making informed real estate decisions.