Durham Region Market Stats: What July 2026 Really Tells Us
Summer markets have a rhythm. Sales slow down a bit, prices settle, and everyone starts wondering what fall will bring. July followed that pattern almost exactly. But underneath the seasonal dip, there are a few numbers worth paying attention to, especially if you're planning a move this fall or winter.
Here's the breakdown, style by style.
Market Snapshot: July 2026
Durham Region posted 713 home sales in July, down from 816 in June. The average sale price came in at $840,581, a 1.6% dip month over month. Nothing alarming. Just a market catching its breath.
Here's how each home type moved:
| Home Type | Avg. Price (July) | Price vs. June | Sales (July) | Sales vs. June |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | $938,758 | ↓ 4.8% | 481 | ↓ 8.4% |
| Semi-Detached | $689,019 | ↓ 3.0% | 42 | ↓ 4.5% |
| Att/Row/Townhouse | $757,481 | ↑ 2.7% | 76 | ↓ 31.5% |
| Condo Apartment | $473,869 | ↓ 2.4% | 57 | → Flat |
| Condo Townhouse | $546,695 | ↓ 6.0% | 43 | ↓ 8.5% |
| Link | $769,029 | ↓ 2.3% | 14 | ↓ 56.3% |
Townhouses were the one style to buck the trend. Prices ticked up even as sales activity slowed everywhere else. That's a signal worth sitting with. A smaller pool of buyers is still willing to pay more for the right townhouse, which tells us demand hasn't disappeared. It's just gotten more selective.
Zoom out to the year-to-date picture and the story gets clearer. Durham's sales are down 9.4% compared to the same period in 2025, and the average price is down 6.6% year to date. That's the broader current this market is swimming in, even when individual months move differently.
Three more numbers round out the picture: a 41% Sales-to-New-Listings Ratio, 3.67 months of inventory, and 29 average days on market. Translation? Durham sits right on the line between balanced and buyer-friendly territory right now.
Trends & Outlook: The Bigger Picture
Local numbers only tell half the story. A few national and provincial shifts are shaping how buyers and sellers are behaving right now.
CREA pushed its recovery timeline into 2027. The national forecast for 2026 sits around 463,000 sales, about 1.4% below last year. Average national price is still expected to inch up toward $686,000, but the stronger rebound everyone hoped for this year now looks more likely next year. There were bright spots in June though: sales rose for a third straight month nationally, new listings pulled back, and the national price index went essentially flat for the first time since early 2025. Stabilizing, yes. Evenly? Not quite. Ontario and BC, especially condos, are still working through softer conditions than the rest of the country.
Ontario itself is shifting, not just cycling. A Teranet report this summer flagged some real behavioural changes. First-time buyers are now the largest group of purchasers in the province, but they're older than ever, averaging 40 years old. Many are pairing up with a partner, sibling, or friend just to make affordability work. Existing owners are staying put longer too, holding their homes for nearly 18 years on average before selling, which is tightening inventory across the board. Investors have gotten pickier, favouring stronger equity positions over quick flips.
What This Means for You
If you're buying: softer prices and slower sales in most categories mean more room to negotiate, especially on detached homes and condo townhouses where the price movement was steepest this month. Townhouses are the exception. Expect more competition there.
If you're selling: pricing has to reflect where the market actually is today, not where it was in spring. A home priced accurately from day one moves faster and pulls stronger offers. That's the entire philosophy behind starting every listing with pricing validation before it ever goes live.
If you're investing: the shift toward longer hold periods and pickier buying lines up with what we're seeing locally. This market rewards patience and durable demand over quick turnarounds. Townhouses, given their price resilience this month, are worth a closer look.
The Bottom Line
July's numbers didn't shock anyone. Sales cooled, most prices softened slightly, and townhouses quietly outperformed. But the real value isn't in any single month. It's in understanding where your specific home type sits within the bigger trend, and using that to make a confident, well-timed decision.
Have questions about what these numbers mean for your street or your specific home? Reach out anytime. That's exactly the kind of conversation worth having before you list or make an offer.
