August brought a notable slowdown to Ottawa's housing market, with 1,002 homes sold through MLS® — down 18.6% from August 2025 and well below the typical seasonal dip. For context, the median July-to-August sales decline over the past decade has been about 5.8%. This year's drop was considerably sharper, tying 2022 for the lowest August sales count since 2016.

That said, one month doesn't establish a trend. Prices held comparatively steady, and the overall picture remains more nuanced than any single headline suggests.

What the Numbers Are Telling Us

Average sale price: $688,253 — up a modest 0.3% year over year
Median sale price: $622,357 — down 1.2% year over year
Benchmark composite price: $637,700 — up 1.0% from last August
Homes sold for an average of 97.9% of asking price, unchanged from a year ago
Median days on market: 29 days

The key takeaway: prices remained stable even as sales pulled back — which tells us this is not a story of a market in distress.

Not All Property Types Are Equal

The softness in August was broader than previous months, extending across all property types — but the degree varies significantly:

Single-family homes remain the most stable segment. Benchmark price up 2.2% year over year, with 4.0 months of inventory.

Townhouses are showing more strain. Active listings are up 27.1% from last year, benchmark prices are down 4.0%, and months of inventory have climbed to 4.1.

Apartments/condos continue to be the softest segment, with 6.3 months of inventory and a median of 42 days on market — though there were no signs of sharp new deterioration from July.

Heading Into Fall

The central question as we move into September is whether August was a temporary pause or the start of a longer shift. Buyer conditions have improved — there is more choice, less competition, and more time to decide. For sellers, pricing and presentation matter more than they have in years.

As always, what this means for your property or your neighbourhood can look quite different from the citywide picture. That's exactly what the pages inside are for.