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The South Surrey & White Rock Market Standoff: What the Headlines Aren’t Telling You

10/9/2026

 
Do you read the news headlines and wonder what the South Surrey/White Rock real estate market is really doing? What do these headlines mean if you are thinking of selling or buying a property here right now?
Since the high-priced Covid-19 market, we have seen a marked trend in the housing market - a stand-off between buyers and sellers, pretty well all across North America. Sellers don’t want to lower their expectations, created during those heady days, often taking their homes off the market rather than do so. Meanwhile, buyers—who are facing higher mortgage interest rates and feeling a distinct lack of confidence in the economy—are deciding that BC housing prices are still too high and they will wait until prices come down.
According to UBS Group, Grand View Research, the Globe and Mail, and CTV News, Toronto and Vancouver are currently (September 2026) among the weakest markets worldwide, with inflation-adjusted home prices down 10% year-over-year. This steep decline is driven by higher interest rates, supply gluts, and foreign buyer regulations.

So, Where Does That Leave You?

The South Surrey/White Rock real estate market is currently a varied landscape. We are seeing substantial housing inventory but a strong median sales-to-list ratio of 94.3%. This means that if a property is priced correctly for the current market conditions, it is selling about 6% below the asking price.
  • Detached Homes: This segment is still firmly in buyers' market territory with only 1 in 10 homes listed having sold in September (600 listings to 60 sales, 10% sales ratio).
  • Condos for Sale: Apartments remain a slightly more balanced and active segment on the peninsula, moving faster than detached homes. (311 listings to 24 sales in September, approximately 13% sales ratio) 
  • Townhouses for Sale: Townhomes have softer demand and sharper year-over-year price corrections compared to other segments. (126 listings to 9 sales, approximately 14% sales ratio)
  •  The exception to this is the high demand and low inventory in the single-level, rancher-style retirement style townhomes in South Surrey/White Rock. Older sellers living in single family homes generally wish to move into one level properties, but aren’t necessarily ready for apartment living and want the more autonomous lifestyle of a townhome development. Since land costs on the peninsula are so high, there are virtually no ranchers being built, so the demand far outweighs supply.

Local Area Breakdown: Where the Market is Moving

Because the White Rock South Surrey Peninsula spans everything from beachfront properties to massive executive estates, market behavior varies wildly depending on your specific postal code:
  • Morgan Creek & Grandview Heights: Known for high-end executive properties, luxury homes for sale in Morgan Creek are seeing some of the highest inventory levels. Move-up families have incredible negotiating leverage here right now, making it an ideal time to upgrade to a larger lot. 
  • Crescent Beach & Ocean Park: This highly desirable coastal pocket remains a premium market, but it isn't immune to broader trends. Crescent Beach real estate commands a premium for its historic charm and beach-adjacent character, while buyers looking at Ocean Park homes for sale are finding a bit more room to negotiate than they did last year. ​
  • Elgin Chantrell: Home to some of the largest estate lots on the peninsula, Elgin Chantrell luxury real estate is seeing a slower tier of activity for homes priced over $2.5 Million. If you are looking for privacy and square footage, this buyers' market offers an interesting choice.
  • Sunnyside Park & Semiahmoo Town Centre: Serving as the central hub, Sunnyside Park apartments, townhomes and detached properties represent the most accessible price point in the area. This segment is turning over faster because it targets downsizers and families looking for entry-level detached pricing.
  • White Rock (The Hillside & Marine Drive): If you are looking at White Rock ocean view condos, this is a unique environment. While detached hillside homes face steep corrections, the concrete condo buildings near the pier continue to see steady attention from local downsizers who want a walk-able, maintenance-free lifestyle. 
With the market shifting differently in every single pocket of our community, a generic real estate update isn’t going to give you the information you need. Wise decisions require hyper-local data. Whether you want to leverage your equity in Sunnyside or secure a historic piece of Crescent Beach, let’s pinpoint exactly what your home is worth today.
Call or email me to request your complimentary, neighbourhood-specific market valuation.
Above information and statistics gathered from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA), the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) and the BC Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

March 2023 Mortgage Rate Forecast

3/23/2023

 
BCrea Economics Mortgage Rate Forecast | March 2023
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Click the PDF below to see the full report.
mortgage-rate-forecast.pdf
File Size: 753 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Sharply Higher Mortgage Rates Will Slow Housing Activity in BC Through 2023

5/31/2022

 
BCREA 2022 Second Quarter Housing Forecast
Vancouver, BC – May 31, 2022. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2022 Second Quarter Housing Forecast today. 

Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in the province are forecast to decline 22 per cent from a record high 2021 to 97,240 units this year. In 2023, MLS® residential sales are forecast to fall an additional 12.4 per cent to 85,150 units.  
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“After a strong first quarter, BC markets are now adjusting to a much different interest rate environment,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “With mortgage rates surpassing 4 per cent for the first time in over a decade, the housing market over the next two years may have very little resemblance to the housing market of the past year.” 
On the supply side, we have begun to see active listings move off of record lows and re-sale inventories trend back toward balance. However, because inventories reached such low levels over the past year, the journey back to balance may take up to a year or more in some areas. As markets adjust to the new interest rate landscape, we anticipate that prices may be somewhat volatile but will ultimately flatten out through 2023.
To view the BCREA Housing Forecast PDF, click here.

For the complete news release, including detailed statistics, click here.
For more information, please contact:  
Brendon Ogmundson | Chief Economist | Direct: 604.742.2796 | Mobile: 604.505.6793 | Email: [email protected] 
Ryan McLaughlin | Economist | Direct: 778.657.5960 | Mobile: 604.366.6511 | Email: [email protected]
Housing Forecast is published twice a year by the British Columbia Real Estate Association. Real estate boards, real estate associations and REALTORS® may reprint this content, provided that credit is given to BCREA by including the following statement: "Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission." BCREA makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of this information.
Additional economics information is available here on BCREA's website. 

Housing Market Update (March 2022)

3/16/2022

 
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Click here to visit BCREA's YouTube channel.
​Read the news release
here.

For more information, please contact:  
Brendon Ogmundson  |  Chief Economist  |  Direct: 604.742.2769  |  Mobile: 604.505.6793
Email: [email protected]

The Housing Market Update video is produced monthly by the British Columbia Real Estate Association. Real estate boards, real estate associations and REALTORS®may reprint this content, provided that credit is given to BCREA by including the following statement: "Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission." BCREA makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of this information.
Additional economics information is available here on BCREA's website. 

Mortgage Rate Forecast (June 2021)

6/24/2021

 
Click here to view the June 2021 Mortgage Rate Forecast.
Highlights:
  • New stress test for Canadian borrowers
  • Should we be worried about inflation?
  • Bank of Canada may be eyeing a late-2022 rate hike
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For more information, please contact:  
 
Brendon Ogmundson | Chief Economist
604.742.2796 | [email protected] 

Ryan McLaughlin | Economist
778.657.5960 | [email protected] 
  
Mortgage Rate Forecast is published quarterly by the British Columbia Real Estate Association. Real estate boards, real estate associations and REALTORS® may reprint this content, provided that credit is given to BCREA by including the following statement: "Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission." BCREA makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of this information.

Additional economics information is available here on BCREA's website.

Housing Market Update (June 2021)

6/18/2021

 
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For inquiries regarding statistical and economics-related news releases,
please contact:

Brendon Ogmundson | Chief Economist
Direct: 604.742.2796 | Mobile: 604.505.6793
[email protected]

  
The Housing Market Update video is produced monthly by the British Columbia Real Estate Association. Real estate boards, real estate associations and REALTORS® may reprint this content, provided that credit is given to BCREA by including the following statement: "Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission." BCREA makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of this information.

Housing Market Update (November 2020)

11/16/2020

 
Click here to visit BCREA's YouTube channel. Read the news release here.

For inquiries regarding statistical and economics-related news releases,
please contact:

Brendon Ogmundson | Chief Economist
Direct: 604.742.2796 | Mobile: 604.505.6793
[email protected]

  
The Housing Market Update video webcast is produced monthly by the British Columbia Real Estate Association. Real estate boards, real estate associations and REALTORS® may reprint this content, provided that credit is given to BCREA by including the following statement: "Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission." BCREA makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of this information.

Economic Recovery and Low Rates Drive Housing Market in 2021

11/4/2020

 
BCREA 2020 Fourth Quarter Housing Forecast
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Vancouver, BC – November 4, 2020. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2020 Fourth Quarter Housing Forecast today.

Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in the province are forecast to rise 16.9 per cent to 90,450 units this year, after recording 77,350 residential sales in 2019. MLS®residential sales are forecast to increase 9.7 per cent to 99,240 units in 2021.
 
“The housing market had a record fall season and prices are rapidly rising as pent-up demand floods into an under-supplied market,” said Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA Chief Economist. “As that pent-up demand fades, sales will likely come down from their current record pace, albeit to a still robust level of activity as record-low mortgage rates and a recovering economy continue to drive sales.”

On the supply side, active listings remain low due to hesitation on the part of sellers to list during the pandemic. Some additional supply may come online following the end of mortgage deferral programs, but given the tightness of market conditions, that supply is unlikely to be disruptive. We are forecasting the provincial MLS® average price to finish the year up 9.9 per cent and to increase a further 2.6 per cent in 2021.

For the complete news release, including detailed statistics, click here.
For more information, please contact:  
​

Brendon Ogmundson |Chief Economist
604.742.2796 | [email protected] 
​

Kellie Fong | Economist
778.357.0831 | [email protected] 

“The Unusual World of Pandemic Economics” –Why BC’s Housing Market Remains Strong Despite COVID-19

9/9/2020

 
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Vancouver, BC – Septemeber 9, 2020. The British Columbia Real Estate Association’s (BCREA) latest Market Intelligence report, The Unusual World of Pandemic Economics, points to uneven job losses across sectors, an increase in many households’ rate of savings, swift government aid, a tighter-than-ever housing supply and low interest rates as the drivers behind BC’s recent housing market highs.
“The COVID-19 recession has battered many sectors of the BC economy. However, looking at recent data in the housing market, it would be difficult to tell there was a recession at all,” says BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “In a typical recession, we would see falling demand and rising supply, but this recession is anything but typical.”

Previous BCREA forecasts anticipated housing prices would return to the pre-COVID-19 baseline in early 2021. However, a surge of pent-up demand into an undersupplied market has prices at pre-COVID-19 levels well ahead of schedule.

“Pandemic economics are proving to be very unusual. Many of the trends we are seeing are without precedent and significant uncertainty remains, but we are cautiously optimistic that this housing recovery will continue,” notes Ogmundson.

To read the full report, click here.
For the PDF of this news release click 
here.


Shaheed Devji | Marketing Communications Specialist
604.757.7260 | [email protected] 

Market Intelligence 
is published by the British Columbia Real Estate Association. Real estate boards, real estate associations and REALTORS® may reprint this content, provided that credit is given to BCREA by including the following statement: "Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission." BCREA makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of this information.

Additional economics information is available here on BCREA's website. 

BC Homes Sales to Post Strong Recovery in 2021

6/10/2020

 

BCREA 2020 Second Quarter Housing Forecast

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Vancouver, BC – June 10, 2020. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) released its 2020 Second Quarter Housing Forecast today. 

Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in the province are forecast to decline 21 per cent to approximately 61,000 units this year, after recording 77,347 residential sales in 2019. MLS® residential sales are forecast to increase 45.3 per cent to 88,500 units in 2021.  

“The bright outlook for 2020 home sales has been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession,” said Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA Chief Economist. “However, as the economy “re-opens” and measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are gradually eased, we expect home sales will start to rebound, aided by record-low mortgage rates and pent-up demand.”  

The impact of the current pandemic and associated recession on prices is largely determined by the reaction of supply. Given the unusual nature of COVID-19, the supply of listings for sale has declined for at least the first few months of the pandemic. A muted rise in for-sale inventory may translate to home prices remaining relatively firm in 2020. We are forecasting the provincial MLS® average price to finish the year up 1.8 per cent and to increase a further 5.6 per cent in 2021. 

For more information, please contact:  
Brendon Ogmundson | Chief Economist
604.742.2796 | [email protected] 
Kellie Fong | Economist
778.357.0831 | [email protected] 
 
BCREA is the professional association for more than 23,000 REALTORS® in BC, focusing on provincial issues that impact real estate. Working with the province’s 11 real estate boards, BCREA provides continuing professional education, advocacy, economic research and standard forms to help REALTORS® provide value for their clients.
To demonstrate the profession's commitment to improving Quality of Life in BC communities, BCREA supports policies that help ensure economic vitality, provide housing opportunities, preserve the environment, protect property owners and build better communities with good schools and safe neighbourhoods.
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