Edmonton, January 9, 2013: The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton released their annual housing forecast today at a seminar at the Northlands Expo Centre attended by 700 REALTORS® and business people. President Darrell Cook forecast that the value of MLS® sales in 2013 will increase by about 3% for the year after sales of $7 billion in 2012. This is based on a three percent increase in the number of homes sold and increased prices. Cook expects that single family homes, duplexes and rowhouses will increase on average by 2% while the average price for condos will increase by one percent next year.

“We are positioned in the best economy in Canada and perhaps the world,” said Cook. “It is hard to make a restrained forecast when we have job growth, in-migration, low vacancy rates and continuing low interest rates.”

His remarks echoed the predictions of five other speakers at the seminar including Premier Alison Redford who highlighted the value of the housing industry to the Alberta economy. Also presenting at the event were John Rose, Chief Economist for the City of Edmonton; Angus Watt from National Bank of Canada; Brad Ferguson, the President and CEO of Edmonton Economic Development Corporation; and David Lan, Senior Market Analyst from CMHC.

Cook forecast that the year-long average selling price for a single family home, sold through the Multiple Listing Service® in 2013 will increase from $382 thousand to $390 thousand. The average price for a condominium property will increase from $235,500 to $237,800. Although the inventory of available housing is low at this time of year, Cook suggested that increasing prices in the first six months will convince owners to begin listing their property and increased choice for buyers will result.

Cook suggested that, because of our solid economy, the strong interest in acreage properties will continue in 2013 and sales of recreational and vacant properties will also increase as the prices of properties in sun-belt destinations recover and local recreational properties become more comparable in price.

Commercial and industrial sales through the MLS® were up 25% in 2012 and REALTORS® expect the trend to continue next year with an increase in total value from $310 million to $320 million. There will be demand for small office/warehouse lease properties as our strong economy spawns new and expanding businesses.

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