October 2026 | A Market That Rewards Patience and Smart Decisions

The October numbers are in, and one thing is clear: buyers are still in the driver’s seat across Durham Region. Home prices have continued to soften, sales are down compared to last year, and there are plenty of homes for buyers to choose from. For sellers, this means pricing your home correctly is more important than ever. For buyers, it means more choice, less pressure, and often more room to negotiate. But here’s something important to remember: Not every home, neighbourhood, or price range behaves the same way. Some homes are selling quickly, while others are taking much longer.

Let’s look at what happened in October.

Durham Region – The Big Picture

October 2026 Market Statistics

  • Homes Sold: 582
  • Average Selling Price: $787,508
  • Median Selling Price: $739,950
  • New Listings: 1,696
  • Active Listings: 2,567
  • Total Sales Volume: $458.3 million
  • Months of Inventory (MOI): 4.77
  • Sales-to-New-Listings Ratio (SNLR): 34% — Buyer’s Market
  • Average Days on Market (DOM): 31 days
  • Sale Price to List Price (SP/LP): 98%

How Does This Compare to Last Year?

Looking at January through October 2026 compared to the same period in 2025:

  • Home Sales: 6,304, down 12.15%
  • New Listings: 16,462, down 15.41%
  • Average Selling Price: $834,392, down 6.46% from $888,284
  • Total Sales Volume: $5.26 billion, down 19.40%
  • Median Selling Price (YTD): $785,250

The biggest takeaway? Fewer homes are selling, and buyers are paying less on average than they did last year. The average home sold for 98% of its asking price in October. That’s about $20,000 below asking on a home listed at $1 million. Of course, that’s an average. Some homes sell for more, others for less. And with 4.77 months of inventory, buyers have a healthy selection of homes to consider.

What does this mean?

Sellers need to be realistic about pricing and presentation. Buyers have more negotiating power, but well-priced homes can still attract plenty of attention.

How Did Your Community Perform?

Here’s how each Durham Region community performed in October.

Ajax – Prices Holding Up Better Than Some Neighbours

  • Homes Sold: 70
  • Average Price: $915,173
  • Median Price: $809,250
  • New Listings: 200
  • Active Listings: 292
  • Months of Inventory: 4.69
  • SNLR: 35% — Buyer’s Market
  • Days on Market: 33
  • Sale Price to List Price: 98%

Compared to 2025 (YTD):

  • Sales down 15.19%
  • New listings down 15.34%
  • Average price down 5.39%
  • Total sales volume down 21.39%

Our Take: Ajax remains one of Durham’s higher-priced communities. While prices have softened, the market is still moving. Sellers should expect buyers to compare properties carefully before making an offer.

Pickering – Buyers Have Plenty of Choice

  • Homes Sold: 89
  • Average Price: $813,850
  • Median Price: $772,000
  • New Listings: 284
  • Active Listings: 409
  • Months of Inventory: 5.13
  • SNLR: 31% — Buyer’s Market
  • Days on Market: 29
  • Sale Price to List Price: 99%

Compared to 2025 (YTD):

  • Sales down 6.17%
  • New listings down 12.50%
  • Average price down 5.45%
  • Total sales volume down 11.96%

Our Take: Pickering buyers have lots to choose from. Interestingly, homes that sold averaged 99% of asking price. That tells us buyers are still willing to pay close to asking when they see good value.

Whitby – Still Moving, But Buyers Are Careful

  • Homes Sold: 108
  • Average Price: $868,267
  • Median Price: $834,000
  • New Listings: 323
  • Active Listings: 437
  • Months of Inventory: 4.17
  • SNLR: 33% — Buyer’s Market
  • Days on Market: 27
  • Sale Price to List Price: 98%

Compared to 2025 (YTD):

  • Sales down 9.56%
  • New listings down 20.76%
  • Average price down 6.57%
  • Total sales volume down 16.76%

Our Take: Whitby had one of the shortest average selling times in Durham at 27 days. Homes are still selling, but buyers have become more selective. Good presentation and realistic pricing make a difference.

Oshawa – More Affordable, But Prices Under Pressure

  • Homes Sold: 150
  • Average Price: $646,841
  • Median Price: $607,500
  • New Listings: 396
  • Active Listings: 630
  • Months of Inventory: 4.48
  • SNLR: 38% — Buyer’s Market
  • Days on Market: 31
  • Sale Price to List Price: 98%

Compared to 2025 (YTD):

  • Sales down 20.71%
  • New listings down 21.05%
  • Average price down 8.79%
  • Total sales volume down 31.32%

Our Take: Oshawa remains one of Durham’s more affordable markets, but it’s also experiencing some of the largest price declines. Buyers may find opportunities here, especially with homes that have been sitting on the market.

For sellers, pricing based on what your neighbour received a year or two ago probably won’t work today.

Clarington – A More Active Market

  • Homes Sold: 113
  • Average Price: $744,456
  • Median Price: $690,000
  • New Listings: 314
  • Active Listings: 453
  • Months of Inventory: 4.26
  • SNLR: 36% — Buyer’s Market
  • Days on Market: 27
  • Sale Price to List Price: 99%

Compared to 2025 (YTD):

  • Sales down 8.66%
  • New listings down 10.78%
  • Average price down 7.59%
  • Total sales volume down 16.91%

Our Take: Clarington continues to attract buyers looking for value. Homes sold in an average of 27 days, and sellers received 99% of asking price on average.

That suggests properly priced homes can still move relatively quickly, even in a buyer’s market.

North Durham – A Different Story

The northern communities of Brock, Scugog, and Uxbridge continue to experience slower market conditions, particularly in the higher price ranges. With fewer buyers and more inventory, sellers often need extra patience.

Brock – Buyers Have the Upper Hand

  • Homes Sold: 14
  • Average Price: $675,071
  • Median Price: $620,000
  • New Listings: 47
  • Active Listings: 94
  • Months of Inventory: 8.31
  • SNLR: 30% — Buyer’s Market
  • Days on Market: 40
  • Sale Price to List Price: 95%

Compared to 2025 (YTD):

  • Sales down 19.30%
  • New listings down 5.52%
  • Average price down 5.99%
  • Total sales volume down 26.44%

Our Take: With more than eight months of inventory, Brock is firmly in buyer’s market territory.

Homes sold for an average of 95% of asking price. Sellers need to understand that buyers have choices and aren’t afraid to negotiate.

Scugog – More Listings, Fewer Buyers

  • Homes Sold: 27
  • Average Price: $949,129
  • Median Price: $850,000
  • New Listings: 74
  • Active Listings: 142
  • Months of Inventory: 5.50
  • SNLR: 36% — Buyer’s Market
  • Days on Market: 50
  • Sale Price to List Price: 98%

Compared to 2025 (YTD):

  • Sales down 1.38%
  • New listings up 6.83%
  • Average price down 7.41%
  • Total sales volume down 8.90%

Our Take: Scugog stands out because it’s the only Durham community where new listings have increased year over year.

Meanwhile, sales have remained almost unchanged. Homes took an average of 50 days to sell in October, the longest selling time in Durham Region. The good news? Homes that sold still achieved an average of 98% of asking price. The lesson for sellers is simple: patience, good marketing, and the right asking price matter more than ever.

Uxbridge – A Challenging Market for Sellers

  • Homes Sold: 11
  • Average Price: $1,075,909
  • Median Price: $1,055,000
  • New Listings: 58
  • Active Listings: 110
  • Months of Inventory: 12.56
  • SNLR: 19% — Buyer’s Market
  • Days on Market: 40
  • Sale Price to List Price: 96%

Compared to 2025 (YTD):

  • Sales down 7.94%
  • New listings down 17.83%
  • Average price down 8.77%
  • Total sales volume down 17.40%

Our Take: Uxbridge has the highest months of inventory in Durham Region at 12.56 months.

That’s a lot of choice for buyers and considerable competition for sellers. With only 11 homes sold in October, sellers need to be particularly careful about pricing. Higher-priced homes and unique rural properties may require a longer marketing period and a more targeted approach to finding the right buyer.

What Do All These Numbers Mean?

A few of the terms we use in real estate can sound like alphabet soup. Here’s what they actually mean.

Months of Inventory (MOI): An estimate of how long it would take to sell the available homes at the recent pace of sales. More months generally means buyers have more choice.

Sales-to-New-Listings Ratio (SNLR): Shows how many homes are selling compared to how many are being listed.

  • Below 40%: Buyer’s market
  • 40%–60%: Balanced market
  • Above 60%: Seller’s market

Days on Market (DOM): The average number of days it takes a home to sell.

Sale Price to List Price (SP/LP): Shows how close the final selling price was to the asking price.

For example, 98% means homes sold for an average of 2% below asking.

Thinking About Selling? Here’s What Matters.

The days of putting a sign on the lawn and waiting for multiple offers are largely behind us. But that doesn’t mean homes aren’t selling.

They are!

The difference is that today’s buyers are taking their time, comparing properties, and looking carefully at value. For sellers, three things matter:

  1. Price it right from the beginning. Overpricing can mean fewer showings, more time on the market, and eventually a price reduction.
  2. Make your home stand out. Good photography, staging, presentation, and marketing are essential.
  3. Understand your local market. Durham-wide averages are helpful, but they don’t tell the whole story about your particular home.

And here’s something worth remembering.

If you’re selling and buying another home, you’re doing both in the same market.

You may receive less for your current home than you would have a couple of years ago, but you may also pay less for your next one. Sometimes, the opportunity is in the move itself.

Looking Ahead

As we move toward winter, the market will likely become quieter, as it often does at this time of year. Economic uncertainty, household costs, and mortgage rates will continue to influence buyer confidence. But one thing hasn’t changed: people still need to move. Families grow, people retire, jobs change, and new opportunities come along.

The market doesn’t stop. It simply changes.

Our advice? Don’t try to time the market perfectly. Make the decision that’s right for your circumstances, with good information and a solid plan.

If you’re wondering what your home might sell for in today’s market, or you’re thinking about making a move, we’re always happy to help. No pressure. Just good advice.

Warm regards,

Keith Williams & Lisa Follows
Willows Realty Group
Royal LePage Frank Real Estate
Where Dreams Take Root
866-447-4434

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

Source: Central Lakes Association of REALTORS® (CLAR), Regional Housing Market Report, October 2026. All comparisons are January–October 2026 versus the same period in 2025. Market statistics represent averages across different property types and price ranges.