In Whistler, there were 43 sales in March, which is below the 5-year average of 66 March sales. Of these sales, 36 went for under the asking price, 2 sold for over, and 5 sold for the asking price.
In Squamish, there were 50 sales in March, which is below the 5-year average of 59 March sales; however, it was the strongest March sales number since 2022. Of these sales, 6 went for over the asking price, 8 went for asking, and 36 went for under the asking price.
Overall, the environment remains challenging. It feels like a generation of people are being taught how to continue putting one foot in front of the other despite an uncertain backdrop. I was taught to live with uncertainty relatively early, as my family was caught on the wrong side of 9/11 and the Iraq War heavily invested in real estate in Whistler. The market locked up and the unravelling came slowly but surely. I watched unable to do anything about it.
Overconfidence is a b*tch and can get you overextended, but under-confidence is almost as damaging because you will miss every good opportunity out of fear. To know how to continue thinking rationally and productively during times of stress is a learned skill, and for the people young and/or lucky enough to not have already watched the wheels come off, I think the last four years have probably been a bit rough.
We live in a perpetual boom/bust cycle in these markets, whereby prices usually go up quickly and come down slowly. If you can push ahead through downturns, making smart investments and doing what needs to be done, when the boom comes back around you’ll be ready to capitalize. Long time frames and contingency planning are the key to real estate investment.
All that to say – that yes, the environment remains challenging, but that does not mean that the sky is falling. Real estate does well over the long term, and the Squamish and Whistler markets are attractive not only regionally and nationally, but globally – these markets are known and attractive to people all over the world. That can’t be said for most markets, and certainly can’t be said for most markets that are this small. Additionally, Squamish has been subject to the foreign buyer ban and this is due to come off January 2027.
As someone who has been hyper-vigilant for a really long time, I have faith that all the current uncertainties will find reasonable resolution with time. People need places to live. People want to enjoy healthy and fun activities with their friends and family. These facts of life bode well for the Squamish and Whistler markets.
If you’re looking to sell, pricing and presentation has never been more important. If you’re looking to buy, you have choice and relatively little pressure on your side.
I’ve included some charts below and the full stats package for the Greater Vancouver area is also available further down.
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Lindsay
604-612-1484
lindsay@lindsaymcivorrealestate.com
Follow me on Instagram @squamish_whistler_real_estate