The BC Northern Real Estate Board (BCNREB) reported 825 sales with a value of $348,068,856 through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in the first quarter of 2026.
This compares with 911 sales worth $366,534,616 to the end of March 2025. As of March 31st, there were 2923 properties of all types available for purchase through the MLS® compared to 2660 at this time last year.
Sales in the BC Northern region in the first quarter of 2026 ticked downward from a slower previous quarter. At 954 sales on a seasonally adjusted basis, housing market activity was 9.1 per cent below historical averages and 8.1 per cent below the level of Q1 2025.
The average sale price in the board area fell to $433,250, 0.7 per cent below the previous quarter.
Market activity took a broader downturn throughout the board region. Seasonally adjusted sales rose from the prior quarter in only Quesnel and Williams Lake. Meanwhile, seasonally adjusted sales fell in Prince Rupert, Fort St. John, Kitimat, 100 Mile House, Prince George, Terrace, and Smithers. The sales-to-active listings ratio fell to 18 per cent, keeping Northern markets near the higher end of balanced conditions.
Worsening market activity may reflect ongoing weakness in the Northern economy, exacerbated by US tariffs that directly hinder several key regional industries. Moreover, the Bank of Canada’s policy direction remains increasingly uncertain amidst sharp oil price shocks and weak economic conditions. Looking ahead, the North is looking for prolonged stability in the global economy and a tariff-free renegotiation of the USMCA to reignite growth. We hope these two factors, coupled with relatively favorable affordability conditions, will strengthen regional sales through the second half of the year.
Fort St. John: In the Fort St. John area, 132 (149) properties worth $59.1 million ($56.1 million) changed hands in the first quarter of 2026. In addition to the 56 single-family homes sold, 16 half-duplexes, 11 homes on acreage, 2 manufactured homes in parks and 9 manufactured homes on land have sold since January 1st. At the end of March there were 384 (366) properties of all types available for purchase through the MLS® in the Fort St. John region.
Fort Nelson: 5 (13) properties worth $1.1 million ($3.6 million) were reported sold through the MLS® since the beginning of the year. At the end of March there were 96 (105) properties available for purchase through the MLS® in the Fort Nelson area.
226 (279) properties of all types, worth $112.7 million ($124.1 million), have changed hands in the first 3 months of 2026 in the City of Prince George. In the western part of the City, the median price of the 40 single-family homes that have sold on MLS® was $467,000 ($459,000). In the area east of the by-pass, the 34 single-family homes that sold had a median value of $ $418,250 ($366,000). In the northern part of the city, commonly referred to as “the Hart”, 26 single-family homes sold with a median price of $611,450 ($555,000). In the southwestern section of the city, 40 homes have sold since January with a median price of $585,000 ($560,000). At the end of March there were 703 (565) properties of all types available on the MLS® within the city limits.
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