Home sales in Canada rose by 5.5% from April to May, the second increase in a row following five months of decline, said National Bank of Canada after Tuesday's data from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).
This robust advance in sales was driven by increases in eight of the 10 provinces, namely Nova Scotia (+20.4% following -11.3% the previous month), Manitoba (+10.1%), Ontario (+8.8%), British Columbia (+5.8%), New Brunswick (+3.2%), Quebec (+2.5%), Alberta (+1.3%), and Saskatchewan (+0.6%).
On the other hand, transactions decreased during the month in Prince Edward Island (-9.9% following +13.2% the previous month) and Newfoundland (-2.7%).
Although the increase in sales was widespread in May, the fact remains that the upturn observed in Ontario, the country's largest market, over the past two months is the driving force behind the turnaround at the national level, stated the bank.
Indeed, 71% of the increase in sales recorded in Canada between March and May can be attributed to the market recovery in Ontario.
As a consequence, the resale market appears to have bottomed out and may be on an upward trend that could continue in the coming months, National Bank noted.
In the bank's view, this recovery can be attributed to improved affordability, such as, lower home prices, which has allowed more buyers to enter the market. However, the extent of this recovery is likely to be limited by fixed mortgage rates, which have risen significantly since February, the declining population and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the renewal of the USMCA trade deal.
In the meantime, National Bank added that despite the improvement seen in recent months, transaction volumes in the resale market remain low by historical standards, standing 11.4% below their 10-year average.