Curious about what’s happening in the local real estate market this January? In a recent Burlington Today article, Clinton Howell shares expert insights on market trends, buyer activity, and what to expect in the months ahead.
As 2024 came to a close, the appointment centre at Re/Max Escarpment Realty buzzed with activity, defying the usual seasonal slowdown. From December 15 to 21, one standout data point emerged: the appointment-to-sold index dropped to 6.2—the lowest it had been all year, according to Broker Clinton Howell.
This metric reveals that properties were selling with fewer appointments, signaling decisive action from buyers. “Buyers were aggressively snapping up properties in the lead-up to Christmas,” says Howell. “They were making quicker decisions and securing some of the remaining inventory.”
While new listings typically dwindle during this period, buyer activity was unusually robust, contributing to a rise in absorption rates. These rates, which measure the proportion of sold properties to new listings, showed many neighborhoods transitioning into seller’s market territory—a sharp contrast to the buyer’s market conditions earlier in the year.
“Through December, sales consistently outpaced new listings, which we hadn’t seen for several months,” notes Howell.
