PRESS RELEASE
 
May 9, 2013
For Immediate Release
 
 
APRIL MLS® MARKET REBOUNDS FROM PREVIOUS MONTH
- - -
 
MLS® Sales Down 7%; MLS® Dollar Volume Off 3%
 
 
WINNIPEG -
Signs of spring while questionable at times
in April brought more buyers out to
take advantage of an MLS® inventory higher than
it has been in many years. The equivalent of
nearly 40 % of the 3,205 MLS® listings at the en
d of April sold and that is over 400 units
more than what sold the previous month. While
sales and dollar volume were down from April
2012, sales were still 2% above
the 10-year average and dollar
volume finished a strong
second to last year’s highest
April dollar volume of $337 million.
 
Another positive indicator was new listings comi
ng on the market in April of nearly 2.100 are
near the highest level for this time of year. Ev
ery indication in May w
ith warmer sunny days
enabling yard work to commence in customary
fashion is the spring market has arrived in
earnest.
 
It is important to note while active residential-de
tached listings are higher at the end of April
than they were at the same time last year ther
e is a marked difference
in the price ranges they
fall within. For example, there are 16 % fe
wer listings availabl
e under $250,000 in 2013 and
11% fewer under $300,000. The converse is tr
ue as well. In the $450,000 to $499,999 price
range there are 45% more list
ings this year than 2012.
 
Fortunately for those buyers s
eeking more affordable priced listings condominiums offered
more choice than last year
with a 29% increase in ac
tive listings under $300,000. This
improvement in more affordable housing supply
translated directly into a 29% increase in
condominium sales. No sales
however occurre
d under $100,000.
 
As is always the case, specific MLS® nei
ghbourhoods can be more pronounced with either
fewer or more listings than the overall market
number percentages so it
is advisable to call a
REALTOR® - a local neighbourhood expert - to
fully apprise yourself of what is exactly
happening in the neighbourhoods you are most inte
rested in buying a resi
dential-detached or
condominium property.
 
April MLS® unit sales decreased 7% (1,245/
1,346) while dollar volume fell off only 3%
($325.9 million/$337.4 million) in comparison to the
same month last year. Year-to- date
MLS® unit sales are down 11% (3,401/3,829) wh
ile dollar volume has decreased 5% ($876.3
million/$926.4 million) in comparison to the same period last year.
 
“What this month’s results confirm is a sale
s parameter we have observed for some time.
Keeping our local market affordable with more
lower priced listings is a key determinant of
our sales success,” said Richard Dettman, pres
ident of WinnipegREALTORS®. “It also speaks

to vendors' value expectations. Winnipeg buye
rs are discerning customers looking for good
value in their home purchases.”
 
The most active residential-detached pri
ce range was the $250,000 to $299,999 price range at
23% of total sales. Interesti
ngly enough, this is the same percentage covering off all sales
under $200,000 with just 2% selling for
under $100,000. For condominiums, the $150,000 to
$199,999 price range remains dominant
at 37% however the $200,000 to $249,999 has
increased its share to 23% of
total condominium sales.
 
The average days on the market for residential-de
tached property sales in April was 26 days,
two days quicker than last month and the same pace as April 2012. Average days on the
market for condominium sales was 29 days, two da
ys slower than last month and 8 days faster
than April 2012.
 
Established in 1903, WinnipegREALTORS® is a pr
ofessional associa
tion representing over
1,700 real estate brokers, salespeo
ple, appraisers, and financial
members active in the Greater
Winnipeg Area real estate market. Its REALTOR®
members adhere to a st
rict code of ethics
and share a state-of-the-art Mu
ltiple Listing Service® (MLS
®) designed exclusively for
REALTORS®. WinnipegREALTORS® serves its
members by promoting the benefits of an
organized real estate profession. REALTOR®
, MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are
trademarks owned and controlled
by The Canadian Real Estate
Association and are used under
licence.
 
For further information, contact Peter Squire at 786-8854.