British Columbians appear to be choosing Port Moody/Belcarra, the Gulf Islands, Bowen Island, the Sunshine Coast, and Squamish among the areas in the South Coast.
While economic uncertainties have hampered the housing market, there appear to be signs of recovery.
REMAX Canada’s 2025 Hot Pocket Communities Report looked at 83 markets across the Greater Toronto Area, Greater Vancouver, and the Fraser Valley, between January 1 and June 30, 2025, and found that almost 23 per cent of markets reported detached housing sales on par or ahead of year-ago levels in the first half of the year.
Tim Hill with REMAX All Points Realty points out that buyers are carefully re-entering the detached housing markets and taking advantage of more balanced market conditions.
“Affordability continues to play a huge role in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, with the greatest activity occurring between $1 million and $1.5 million,” said Hill.
Median Price — Detached properties by Greater Vancouver Area neighbourhood (Courtesy RE/MAX All Points Realty)
“For buyers looking to establish a foothold in real estate, communities such as Squamish and Bowen Island offer the best of both worlds – close proximity to the city against a recreational backdrop.”
According to the report, Bowen Island saw a median price increase of 9.1 per cent compared to the same time period in 2024, Squamish’s median price increased by 7.6 per cent, and Pemberton saw an increase of 12.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, Richmond, Delta North, East Vancouver, and Vancouver’s West Side all saw drops in median prices of more than six per cent.
The report goes on to say that buyers have new options in the current real estate market. Higher economic stability and reduced interest rates will encourage more homebuying activity as we enter the fall market.
