August in Durham Region means the last of the summer boat traffic on Lake Scugog & Lake Ontario, kids dreading the “back to school” signs at the store, and — every month, like clockwork — a fresh batch of housing numbers from our local real estate board. So let’s grab a coffee (virtually) and we’ll walk you through what August looked like across Durham Region, and what it actually means for you, whether you’re thinking of selling, buying, or just nosy about the neighbours’ house value (no judgment, we’ve all been there).

We’re going to use a few short forms in this update. Here’s the cheat sheet so nothing feels like alphabet soup:

  • MOI (Months of Inventory): If no new homes came on the market starting today, this is how many months it would take to sell everything currently listed. A small number means homes are moving fast. A big number means there’s plenty to choose from.
  • SNLR (Sales to New Listings Ratio): This compares how many homes sold to how many new ones came up for sale. Below 40% is a buyer’s market (more choice, more negotiating room). 40%–60% is a balanced market (fairly even footing). Above 60% is a seller’s market (more competition among buyers).
  • DOM (Days on Market): The average number of days it took a home to sell. Lower means homes are going quickly.
  • SP/LP (Sale Price to List Price): How close the final sale price landed to the original asking price. 99% means, on average, homes sold for 99 cents of every listed dollar.

Okay, glossary done. Let’s get into it. Every number below compares this year’s year-to-date performance to the same stretch of 2025 (that’s “PYTD,” or previous-year-to-date, for short), so you can see exactly how things are trending, not just a one-month snapshot.

Durham Region: The Big Picture

Here’s the whole region in a nutshell for August 2026:

  • New listings: 1,426 (2,426 total active listings)
  • Listings year-to-date: 12,915, down 17.02% from 15,113 last year
  • Sales in August: 568
  • Sales year-to-date: 5,155, down 9.91% from 5,666 last year
  • Dollar volume in August: $467,551,079
  • Dollar volume year-to-date: $4,333,090,834, down 17.01% from $5,070,069,330 last year
  • Average price in August: $823,153
  • Average price year-to-date: $840,561, down 6.46% from $894,823 last year
  • Median price in August: $770,000 (year-to-date: $795,000)
  • Months of Inventory: 4.46
  • Sales to New Listings Ratio: 40%
  • Days on Market: 33
  • Sale Price to List Price: 99%

What this means in plain English: Durham sits right on the line between a balanced market and a buyer’s market. There are fewer new listings coming up than last year, but there are also fewer homes selling, so it’s roughly evening out. Homes are still selling close to asking price (99 cents on the dollar) in about a month, which tells us buyers aren’t lowballing — they’re just being a little more thoughtful and a little less rushed than in a hot seller’s market.

For sellers: Pricing right out of the gate matters more than ever. With inventory sitting around 4.5 months, your home isn’t guaranteed to fly off the market just because it has a nice kitchen. Buyers have options, so presentation and pricing strategy do the heavy lifting.

For buyers: You have more breathing room than you did a couple of years ago. You’re not likely to be in a bidding war on every house you like, but good homes priced well are still selling in about a month — so don’t get too comfortable either.

Community by Community

Now let’s zoom in, because “Durham Region” is really eight very different little markets wearing a trench coat pretending to be one.

Ajax

  • New listings: 172 (285 active)
  • Listings year-to-date: 1,609, down 18.89% from 1,913 last year
  • Sales in August: 69 (year-to-date: 705, down 11.77% from 788 last year)
  • Dollar volume in August: $59,382,176 (year-to-date: $613,246,254, down 18.39% from $726,019,531 last year)
  • Average price in August: $860,611 (year-to-date: $869,853, down 5.92% from $921,345 last year)
  • Median price in August: $832,000 (year-to-date: $840,000)
  • Months of Inventory: 4.3
  • Sales to New Listings Ratio: 40%
  • Days on Market: 29
  • Sale Price to List Price: 99%

Ajax is sitting right at the edge of balanced and buyer’s territory, but homes are still selling in under a month at 99% of asking. That’s a market that’s calm, not cold. Sellers who price sensibly are still doing just fine; buyers get a bit more time to think it over before making an offer.

Pickering

  • New listings: 216 (384 active)
  • Listings year-to-date: 2,187, down 11.89% from 2,447 last year
  • Sales in August: 94 (year-to-date: 854, down just 1.41% from 866 last year — practically flat)
  • Dollar volume in August: $87,380,610 (year-to-date: $787,168,376, down 7.00% from $842,274,590 last year)
  • Average price in August: $929,581 (year-to-date: $921,743, down 5.52% from $972,603 last year)
  • Median price in August: $859,000 (year-to-date: $860,000)
  • Months of Inventory: 4.26
  • Sales to New Listings Ratio: 44%
  • Days on Market: 35
  • Sale Price to List Price: 99%

Pickering is the most “steady as she goes” market on this list — sales are barely down at all from last year, which is unusual in this report. It’s a balanced market leaning slightly toward sellers, with homes still fetching 99% of list price. If you’re selling in Pickering, this is one of the healthier spots in the region right now.

Whitby

  • New listings: 274 (397 active)
  • Listings year-to-date: 2,328, down 21.69% from 2,833 last year
  • Sales in August: 119 (year-to-date: 1,041, down 6.15% from 1,105 last year)
  • Dollar volume in August: $106,999,826 (year-to-date: $951,960,835, down 13.69% from $1,082,252,782 last year)
  • Average price in August: $899,158 (year-to-date: $914,468, down 7.10% from $979,414 last year)
  • Median price in August: $835,000 (year-to-date: $870,000)
  • Months of Inventory: 3.45
  • Sales to New Listings Ratio: 43%
  • Days on Market: 31
  • Sale Price to List Price: 99%

Whitby has the lowest Months of Inventory in the whole region at 3.45 — meaning, relatively speaking, it’s the market with the least “extra” sitting around. Combined with a solid 43% SNLR, this is a balanced market with a bit more energy behind it than most of its neighbours. Good news if you’re selling here.

Oshawa

  • New listings: 369 (632 active)
  • Listings year-to-date: 3,306, down 22.23% from 4,041 last year (the biggest drop in new listings of any community)
  • Sales in August: 135 (year-to-date: 1,246, down 20.14% from 1,497 last year)
  • Dollar volume in August: $88,480,716 (year-to-date: $879,600,873, down 30.18% from $1,145,084,362 last year)
  • Average price in August: $655,413 (year-to-date: $705,940, down 8.35% from $764,919 last year)
  • Median price in August: $645,000 (year-to-date: $673,000)
  • Months of Inventory: 4.91
  • Sales to New Listings Ratio: 37%
  • Days on Market: 33
  • Sale Price to List Price: 99%

Oshawa remains the most affordable community on this list, and it’s leaning toward a buyer’s market with an SNLR of 37%. Both new listings and sales pulled back more here than elsewhere, which tells us both buyers and sellers have been a bit more cautious this year. If you’re a buyer looking for value in Durham, Oshawa is worth a close look.

Clarington

  • New listings: 252 (394 active)
  • Listings year-to-date: 2,191, down 14.88% from 2,517 last year
  • Sales in August: 99 (year-to-date: 890, down 10.67% from 985 last year)
  • Dollar volume in August: $72,952,851 (year-to-date: $697,238,718, down 19.16% from $830,819,297 last year)
  • Average price in August: $736,897 (year-to-date: $783,414, down 7.67% from $843,471 last year)
  • Median price in August: $727,500 (year-to-date: $740,000)
  • Months of Inventory: 4.16
  • Sales to New Listings Ratio: 39%
  • Days on Market: 30
  • Sale Price to List Price: 99%

Clarington is just a hair under the “balanced” line at 39% SNLR, technically nudging it into buyer’s market territory, but with a 30-day average and 99% of asking price, it doesn’t feel like a market where sellers need to panic. It’s a fair fight out there — just tilted slightly toward buyers having the advantage.

Brock

  • New listings: 48 (99 active)
  • Listings year-to-date: 314, down 11.46% from 350 last year
  • Sales in August: 12 (year-to-date: 92, down 9.78% from 101 last year)
  • Dollar volume in August: $8,547,500 (year-to-date: $64,231,363, down 17.24% from $75,306,082 last year)
  • Average price in August: $712,292 (year-to-date: $698,167, down 6.79% from $745,605 last year)
  • Median price in August: $667,500 (year-to-date: $664,500)
  • Months of Inventory: 8.92
  • Sales to New Listings Ratio: 25%
  • Days on Market: 48
  • Sale Price to List Price: 94%

Brock is our most rural, small-town market, and the numbers reflect that — smaller sample sizes always swing more dramatically. With almost 9 months of inventory and an SNLR of 25%, this is clearly a buyer’s market. Homes are taking longer (48 days) and selling with a bit more negotiating room (94% of asking). If you’re selling in Brock, patience and realistic pricing are your best friends right now. If you’re buying, you likely have some leverage.

Scugog

  • New listings: 59 (133 active)
  • Listings year-to-date: 532, actually up 8.08% from 489 last year — one of the few increases in this report
  • Sales in August: 19 (year-to-date: 167, up 4.19% from 160 last year)
  • Dollar volume in August: $15,490,900 (year-to-date: $155,172,664, down 4.48% from $162,131,688 last year)
  • Average price in August: $815,311 (year-to-date: $929,178, down 9.06% from $1,013,323 last year)
  • Median price in August: $775,000 (year-to-date: $870,000)
  • Months of Inventory: 7.42
  • Sales to New Listings Ratio: 32%
  • Days on Market: 27
  • Sale Price to List Price: 97%

Scugog is one of the only communities on this list where both listings and sales grew compared to last year — more people are putting homes up, and more people are buying them. That said, with 7.42 months of inventory and an SNLR of 32%, it’s still a buyer’s market on paper. The silver lining: days on market is a brisk 27, the fastest of any community here, so well-priced homes aren’t sitting around gathering dust.

Uxbridge

  • New listings: 36 (102 active)
  • Listings year-to-date: 448, down 16.74% from 523 last year
  • Sales in August: 21 (year-to-date: 160, down 2.50% from 164 last year)
  • Dollar volume in August: $28,316,500 (year-to-date: $184,471,752, down 11.77% from $206,180,999 last year)
  • Average price in August: $1,348,405 (year-to-date: $1,152,948, down 9.04% from $1,257,201 last year)
  • Median price in August: $1,125,000 (year-to-date: $994,250)
  • Months of Inventory: 4.86
  • Sales to New Listings Ratio: 58%
  • Days on Market: 49
  • Sale Price to List Price: 96%

Uxbridge is the priciest market in the region by a wide margin, and also the one with the highest SNLR at 58% — right at the top edge of “balanced” and knocking on the door of a seller’s market. Homes here take a bit longer to sell (49 days), which makes sense given the higher price points attract a smaller pool of buyers, but there’s clearly solid demand for what is on the market.

The Bottom Line

If there’s one theme running through this whole report, it’s this: fewer new listings, fewer sales, but prices holding fairly steady and homes still selling close to asking price almost everywhere. That’s not a crash. That’s a market taking a breath.

If you’re thinking of selling: This is a market that rewards good pricing and good presentation, not just good timing. A home that’s priced right for today’s buyers — not last year’s — will still sell, and often close to full asking price. We’d be happy to walk through your specific street and situation with you, because “the Durham market” and “your street” aren’t always telling the same story.

If you’re thinking of buying: You’re not likely to face the frantic bidding wars of a few years back, but you shouldn’t expect a free-for-all either. Homes priced well are still moving in three to seven weeks, depending on the community. If you find the right place, don’t assume you have all the time in the world.

Whatever stage you’re at — just curious, just starting to think about it, or ready to list this fall — we’re always happy to chat, no pressure and no sales pitch required. Just reply to this email or give us a call.

Talk soon,

Ps. You can book a call right here, in our calendar.

Keith Williams & Lisa C. Follows Brokers | Willows Realty Group Royal LePage Frank Real Estate, Brokerage Port Perry, Ontario willowsrealtygroup.com

Source: Central Lakes Association of REALTORS® (CLAR) Regional Housing Market Report, Durham Region, August 2026. All figures reflect firm transactions entered into the MLS® System, and year-to-date comparisons are against the same period in 2025. Statistics are provided for informational purposes only.