News Release
Fraser Valley Real Estate Board
Contact
Laurie Dawson, Assistant Manager, Communications laurie.dawson@fvreb.bc.ca
Fraser Valley Real Estate Board Telephone 604.930.7657
Fax 604.930.7623
www.fvreb.bc.ca
For Immediate Release: January 5, 2015
Steady home sales in December cap solid year for
Fraser Valley real estate
SURREY, BC – Fraser’s Valley’s real estate market returned to normal activity levels in 2014 with sales of single
family detached homes leading the way.
Ray Werger, President of the Board, says, “It was a busy year for both buyers and sellers. In 2014, both sales and
new listings were stronger in Fraser Valley compared to 2013 – most notably for detached homes and townhomes
– with the result that we’ve returned to normal market activity for our region on par with our 10‐year average.”
The Board’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) processed 15,840 sales in 2014, compared to 13,663 the previous
year, an increase of 16 per cent. It also received 4 per cent more new listings during the same time period – 30,642
in 2014 compared to 29,338 in 2013. Over the year, the number of active listings for buyers to choose from
dropped by 23 per cent going from 7,541 properties in December 2013 to 6,380 in December 2014.
According to Werger, sales during the month of December followed the same trend as every month in 2014 with
sales surpassing the same month compared to 2013. “It was the third busiest December we’ve experienced in the
last decade with sales almost keeping pace with the number of new listings.
“As a result, we’ve seen our inventory deplete, which is normal for this time of year however, our selection hasn’t
been this low for almost eight years. We hope to see the usual influx of new listings during the first quarter of 2015
because we’re currently seeing a shortage of affordably priced single family detached homes in certain areas.”
In December, sales increased by 21 per cent, going from 890 in 2013 to 1,075 last month. New listings increased by
13 per cent in December compared to 2013 going from 1,013 to 1,147.
Home prices in December continued along the same trends as seen for most of 2014, with prices of single family
detached homes continuing to rise; townhouse prices remaining steady, and apartment prices decreasing slightly.
The MLS® Home Price Index (MLS® HPI) benchmark price of a detached home in December was $573,100 an
increase of 4.3 per cent compared to December 2013, when it was $549,500.
The MLS® HPI benchmark price of townhouses in December was $293,500 on par with $293,300 in December
2013. The benchmark price of apartments decreased year‐over‐year by 0.8 per cent, going from $192,600 in
December 2013 to $191,100 in December 2014.
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The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board is an association of 2,757 real estate professionals who live and work in the BC communities of
North Delta,