Month: September 2025

OTTAWA, ON – The Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) commends the City of Ottawa for the Housing Innovation Task Force Report and the Housing Acceleration Plan that squarely targets the core municipal levers needed to get more homes built. With 53 actions organized across five objectives—simplifying the regulatory environment and expediting the approvals process, evolving City culture to be housing development friendly, introducing more flexibility in fees and charges, consolidating and strengthening capacity for affordable housing development, unlocking urban intensification and transit-oriented development—the plan aims to accelerate all forms of housing, with particular emphasis on affordable and urban options.  

It recognizes that success requires strong partnerships with federal and provincial governments and an industry ready to respond. This direction closely aligns with what OREB has advocated publicly. We have urged governments to reduce bureaucratic barriers, streamline development approvals, and invest in enabling infrastructure. All measures we believe are critical to restoring supply and affordability in Ottawa. The Housing Acceleration Plan’s commitment to simplifying the regulatory environment and expediting approvals reflects those priorities.  

OREB has also called for flexibility in the cost structure of building homes. The plan answers that call by taking several actions to reduce fees and review the development charge structure. It is imperative that we lower total developmental costs or tax burdens that impede construction so viable projects can proceed at the pace Ottawa needs.  

On growth and gentle density, OREB has pressed for policies that end exclusionary zoning and enable as-of-right, context-sensitive intensification, particularly near high-quality transit. Key elements of our recommendations are addressed in the final draft of the new zoning by-law. Likewise, the plan’s objective to unlock urban intensification and transit-oriented development moves in that same direction and responds to our proposal to remove barriers to smart, sustainable infill.  

OREB further supports the plan’s focus on consolidating and strengthening affordable housing capacity, which complements our advocacy to expand supply across the continuum so more families, first-time home buyers, renters, newcomers, and businesses alike can access homes and commercial spaces in our city. 

A well-structured plan provides direction, but without collaboration it risks falling short. The true determinant of success lies in how effectively people work together. OREB reiterates the need for all orders of government to coordinate policy and funding, so the plan’s actions translate into shovels in the ground and keys in doors.  

We will continue working with federal and provincial partners on complementary priorities outside municipal control. Specifically, federal programs that seek to double housing construction and restore affordability, skilled trades training that builds the workforce needed for housing delivery, and Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) reforms to clear rental backlogs so the City’s efforts are matched by system-wide capacity.  

OREB stands ready to partner with the City on advancing housing solutions, bringing together market intelligence, on-the-ground experience, policy insights, community engagement, industry networks, and implementation expertise to ensure this plan successfully translates policy into new, attainable homes for Ottawa and area residents more quickly. 

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For media inquiries, please contact: 

Dave Holmes, Manager, Marketing and Communications 
613-225-2240 ext. 232 | dave@oreb.ca 

OTTAWA, ON – Ottawa’s housing market in August 2025 offered buyers greater choice amid subtle signs of shifting dynamics. Last month, demand remained healthy, while supply continued to increase. Active listings climbed to 3,971, approximately 37% above the five-year August average.  

This increase in inventory, while worth monitoring, is not currently a cause for concern. Ottawa’s real estate market follows well-established seasonal cycles, with late summer typically bringing a build-up of available listings ahead of the busy fall market. Both the sales-to-new-listings ratio of 58.3% and 3.2 months of inventory indicate that demand is keeping pace with supply, maintaining balanced market conditions.  

It’s also important to recognize that 2020 and 2021 were historic outliers, with unusually low active listing levels that distort the five-year average. Excluding those years and instead referencing the pre-pandemic 2018 and 2019 figures, August 2025 inventory sit roughly 33–34% above the revised five-year trend — a more accurate measure of current market standing relative to historical norms.  

Property-type trends continue to diverge. Single-family home HPI benchmarks remain broadly steady, and townhouse values are showing gains, while the condominium segment, particularly in the downtown core, remains comparatively soft. These variations present differing market opportunities depending on location, property type, and price point.  

For buyers, the current combination of elevated inventory and steady demand presents a strategic window: more choice and greater negotiating power are available for those in a position to act on it. Meanwhile, broader provincial trends — such as slowing sales and rising supply elsewhere in Ontario — remain factors to watch. There are emerging signs of a potential turnaround in these markets, that could support improved conditions in the months ahead.  

OREB will continue to monitor these developments closely to ensure Members and consumers remain informed as Ottawa’s market evolves. 

“August was an active month for Ottawa’s housing market, with overall prices trending upward and sales activity stronger than in recent years as the summer season winds down,” said Tami Eades, OREB President-Elect. “While we continue to see different price movements across segments, the broader picture points to renewed momentum in the Ottawa Region as buyers and sellers alike re-engage ahead of the fall market. Ottawa’s market reflects balanced conditions, though we are mindful of broader economic factors—such as federal employment trends and U.S. trade policies—that could affect our market in the months ahead.” 

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Residential Market Activity

In August 2025, a total of 1,236 homes were sold across the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) region. While down from 1,318 units in July 2025 and 1,602 in June 2025, this represents a 12.1% increase compared to August last year. Two consecutive months of slower sales is consistent with the spring to summer market seasonality, particularly as we are already approaching what is typically a more active fall market. 

Looking at the bigger picture, there have been 9,936 home sales so far this year, which is 4.1% higher than at this time in 2024.  

The average sale price for all sold listings in August was $686,536, up 3.6% from last year.  

This year, the average year-to-date price is $700,828, a 3% increase over the first eight months of 2024.  

Altogether, the total value of homes sold in August reached approximately $850 million, up 16% year-over-year, with the housing sector continuing to be one of the major drivers of the overall Ottawa economy.  

On the listing side, there were 2,121 new residential listings added in August, a significant 8.6% increase compared to last year, and 3,971 active listings on the market, up 13.3% from August 2024, and 37.1% above the five-year average for this time of year.  

Finally, the months of inventory—a measure of supply— sits at 3.2 months, which is unchanged from last month and identical to last August’s metric as well. 3.2 months of inventory is typically understood to be an indicator of what is considered a balanced market.  Another indication that despite Ottawa’s high active listing count that demand is currently keeping pace with supply. 

MLS® Home Price Index

As for prices, the MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) composite benchmark price in Ottawa was $633,000 in August, a modest 1.5% increase year-over-year.  

If we break that benchmark price down by property type:   

• Single-family homes came in at $700,100, up 1.5%.  

• Townhouses saw the biggest jump — up 8.3% to $466,200.  

• Apartments, on the other hand, dipped slightly, — down 1.1% to $412,300.  

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For media inquiries, please contact: 

Dave Holmes, Manager, Marketing and Communications 

613-225-2240 ext. 232 | dave@oreb.ca