The Vancouver real estate market is doing a very Vancouver thing right now: refusing to fit neatly into one headline.
Sales across Metro Vancouver improved in June, rising 9.6% from the previous year, but remained 12.4% below the 10-year seasonal average. At the same time, buyers had considerably more choice, with total inventory sitting 30.2% above the 10-year average. Prices were relatively steady month over month, but the regional benchmark remained 6% below June 2025.Here on the North Shore, the market is equally selective. Preliminary July figures for North Vancouver showed fewer sales than the previous year, homes taking a little longer to sell, and properties selling for an average of 96.2% of their original asking price. That does not mean nothing is selling. It means buyers are looking carefully, and sellers need to work a little harder to earn their attention.
For Buyers: Don’t Rush, but Don’t Freeze
Buyers have more choice than they did in many recent markets, which gives you room to compare properties, review the documents and make a thoughtful decision. Use that opportunity—but do not mistake having time for having unlimited time.When a home genuinely checks your boxes, works for your lifestyle and is comfortably within your budget, make the offer. You do not need to chase every listing, and you certainly do not need to fall in love with a home simply because it has a beautiful kitchen and excellent lighting. A pot filler is lovely. Financial breathing room is better.Before offering, understand the recent comparable sales, the condition of the property and the ongoing costs of ownership. For a strata property, that means carefully reviewing the minutes, financial statements, depreciation report, insurance information and any upcoming projects. The goal is not simply to buy a home. It is to buy one you can continue to feel good about after the excitement of possession day wears off.
The buyers doing well right now are prepared, realistic and willing to act when the right opportunity appears. Waiting for the “perfect” home at the “perfect” price can sometimes mean watching a very good home sell to someone else.
For Sellers: Be Patient and Stay Flexible
This is not a market where every property sells immediately simply because it has been listed. Buyers have options, and they are comparing condition, location, presentation and price more carefully.That makes accurate pricing especially important. Your home should be positioned according to current comparable sales and competing listings—not what a neighbour received during a completely different market. An ambitious price may feel worth testing, but the longer a property sits, the more likely buyers are to wonder what they are missing. Once the home is listed, cooperate with showing requests whenever reasonably possible and keep the property ready to present. Every showing is a first impression, even when it arrives at an inconvenient time or interrupts dinner. Real estate has never been particularly respectful of dinner.Make the buying decision easier by presenting the home well, having documents ready and responding thoughtfully to reasonable questions. Most importantly, try not to take the process personally. A lower offer, an inspection request or a buyer who needs time to think is not necessarily a criticism of your home. It is part of a more careful market.The Bottom Line
My advice to both buyers and sellers is the same: stay informed, stay realistic and be ready to move when the circumstances make sense. Buyers should be selective without becoming paralyzed. Sellers should be patient without becoming passive. The market is still moving—but right now, preparation and good judgment matter more than pressure.Tazmeen Woodall
Lower Lonsdale, North Vancouver
604 760 7005
