How Long to Sell a Home on the South Shore This Fall 2026

"How fast will my home sell?" That's the first question sellers ask me this fall, before we even talk price. Here are the real numbers heading into the season, and what they mean for you.

What selling times are telling us right now

In July, across Greater Montreal, a single-family home sold in an average of 38 days, three days longer than a year earlier. A condo took 55 days, nine days longer. The plex is the exception: its selling time actually fell eight days, to 46 days. Three products, three speeds. The overall average no longer means much.

This isn't a one-month blip. Sales fell for a fifth straight month, with 3,338 transactions, while inventory climbed to 19,790 properties for sale, up 17% year over year. That's 9% above what a normal July looks like. More choice for the buyer, less pressure to decide fast: naturally, that stretches out how long a sale takes.

Why it takes longer than before

The reason is simple: supply is rising faster than demand. When a buyer has ten comparable homes in front of them instead of three, they visit, they compare, they negotiate, they take their time. The seller who posted an optimistic price and had an offer within a week this spring now watches their property sit online longer. There's nothing dramatic in that. We're simply returning to normal timelines, after a few years when everything sold almost instantly.

The key point is that selling time depends far more on the asking price than on the market itself. A well-valued, well-presented home still sells around the average, sometimes below it. An overpriced one settles in, ages on Centris, and often ends up selling for less than a property that had been priced right from day one. The days that pass are expensive.

What it looks like on the South Shore

The rise in supply shows up mostly in condos, and strongly here. Condo listings jumped 72% year over year in Candiac and La Prairie, 60% in Saint-Hubert and 38% in Vieux-Longueuil. The steadier Brossard and Saint-Lambert sector still counts 511 condos on the market, up 12%. That's exactly why a condo takes an average of 55 days to sell: the more signs on lawns, the more time the buyer takes. I covered this in my piece on the condo market. For single-family homes, supply is rising more slowly, which is why the seller keeps the edge even with slightly longer timelines.

Rates won't move this week

The backdrop stays stable. The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25%, and its September 2 decision is expected to be another hold. On the mortgage side, the best five-year insured fixed rate sat around 4.09% in late August, and nesto listed 4.24% in Quebec. Nothing new is expected before the fall. What moves is not the rate, it's the time a buyer gives themselves to choose. A seller counting on a rate cut to spark showings could be waiting a while.

What it means for you

• If you're selling: aim for the window, not the peak. A house priced right sells in about 38 days; a condo, around 55. If you're still online well past those marks, it's almost never the market, it's the price or the presentation. A quick adjustment beats a long, slow trickle of price drops.
• If you're buying: you finally have room to breathe. More listings, less bidding pressure, especially in condos. Take the time to visit and compare, but stay pre-approved: a good home at the right price still moves fast.
• If you're investing: the plex sells faster than a year ago, at 46 days, and its median price rose 6%. It's the only segment where the timeline shortened. If you own, that's a sign of strength; if you're buying, always run your return at today's rate.

These timelines are regional averages, not a forecast for your property. A house in Boucherville, a new condo in Brossard and a plex in Vieux-Longueuil don't sell at the same pace, and the right starting price depends on your neighbourhood and your product. Before you list, let's talk about your real timeline. Request a free evaluation or write to me, and we'll look together at how fast, and at what price, you can sell.