Cochrane Real Estate Market Update – October 2026
Your Cochrane Realtor®
More Listings, Fewer Sales, and a Market That’s Giving Buyers More Breathing Room
October's real estate numbers are in, and there's definitely a story to tell!
If you've been following my monthly market updates, you've probably noticed a theme throughout 2026: more homes available, buyers taking their time, and sellers having to work a little harder to stand out.
Well, October continued that trend.
We saw fewer sales compared to this time last year, inventory continued to climb, and the amount of time it would take to sell through our available homes increased quite a bit.
But does that mean the market is crashing? No. Does it mean homes aren't selling? Also no.
It means the market has shifted, and understanding what those numbers actually mean is more important than ever.
Let's break it down!
October 2026 – The Numbers at a Glance
Here's how Cochrane's residential real estate market performed in October:
- 62 homes sold – down 15.1% from October 2025
- 142 new listings – up 6.0% year-over-year
- 361 homes in inventory – up 16.8% from last year
- 5.82 months of supply – up 37.6% year-over-year
- $571,100 benchmark price – down 1.9% year-over-year
- 56 days on market – compared to 52 days last October
- 97.8% sale-to-list price ratio – meaning homes sold for approximately 2.2% below their final asking prices, on average
Now, those numbers might not mean much on their own, so let's talk about what's actually happening.
Fewer Sales, But More Homes to Choose From
October saw 62 homes sell in Cochrane, compared to 73 during the same month last year.
That's a 15.1% decrease in sales activity.
At the same time, 142 new listings came onto the market, an increase of 6% compared to October 2025.
So, what's happening here?
Simply put, we're adding homes to the market faster than buyers are purchasing them.
For every 100 new listings that came onto the market in October, only about 44 homes sold. This is what's called our sales-to-new-listings ratio, and it's one of the indicators we use to understand how much competition exists between buyers and sellers.
When that ratio is high, homes are being absorbed quickly. When it's lower, more properties are competing for buyers' attention.
And right now, buyers have options!
This doesn't mean there aren't serious buyers out there. There absolutely are. But when buyers have more homes to compare, they're less likely to rush into a decision or overlook something they don't love.
For sellers, that means the days of simply putting a home on the market and expecting immediate interest are largely behind us.
Inventory Is Up – And That's Changing the Conversation
We finished October with 361 homes available for sale in Cochrane, compared to 309 at this time last year.
That's almost 17% more inventory.
To put that into perspective, back in October 2024, we had just 178 homes in inventory.
We've more than doubled that number in two years.
That's a pretty significant change!
Think about it from a buyer's perspective.
A couple of years ago, you might have been choosing between three or four homes that checked most of your boxes. Today, you might have ten or more possibilities, depending on your price range and what you're looking for.
That gives buyers more negotiating power, more time to consider their options, and more opportunity to find a home that genuinely works for them.
For sellers, though, it means your home isn't just competing with the house down the street. It's competing with every other property a buyer might reasonably consider.
And that's why pricing, presentation, condition, and marketing all matter so much.
5.82 Months of Supply – What Does That Actually Mean?
This is probably one of the most important numbers in October's report.
Cochrane finished the month with 5.82 months of supply, compared to 4.23 months in October 2025.
But what exactly is months of supply?
It's a calculation that tells us how long it would theoretically take to sell all the homes currently available if no new listings came onto the market and homes continued selling at the current pace.
In October, we had 361 homes available and 62 sales.
361 ÷ 62 = 5.82 months of supply.
Generally speaking, a lower number indicates a market that favours sellers, while a higher number indicates buyers have more negotiating power.
As a rough guideline:
- Under 3 months: Typically favours sellers
- 3–5 months: Generally considered more balanced
- Over 5 months: Often indicates conditions favouring buyers
These aren't hard-and-fast rules, but they give us a useful starting point.
At 5.82 months, Cochrane's October numbers are showing signs of a buyer-favouring market.
And here's the important part: this doesn't mean every home will take almost six months to sell!
Some homes will sell in a week. Others may sit for months.
Months of supply measures the relationship between inventory and sales activity across the entire market. It's not a prediction of how long your individual home will take to sell.
Location, price point, condition, competition, and buyer demand all play a role.
And remember, we're also heading into the quieter winter months, so seasonal changes in sales activity can influence this number.
Still, the overall trend is pretty clear. Buyers have gained negotiating power compared to where we were a year or two ago.
Home Prices – Are They Actually Coming Down?
The overall residential benchmark price in Cochrane was $571,100 in October, down 1.9% compared to October 2025.
That's a relatively modest decline, but it's worth paying attention to.
First, let's clarify what a benchmark price actually is.
Unlike the average sale price, which can be influenced by whether more expensive or less expensive homes happened to sell that month, the benchmark price represents the value of a typical home based on its characteristics.
It's generally a more useful indicator when we're trying to understand how property values are changing over time.
Here's how October's benchmark prices looked across the different property types:
| Property Type | Benchmark Price | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| Detached | $653,000 | -3.4% |
| Semi-Detached | $491,600 | -4.6% |
| Row/Townhouse | $438,400 | 0.0% |
| Apartment | $348,700 | 1.6% |
| Total Residential | $571,100 | -1.9% |
What's interesting is that not every property type is experiencing the same thing.
Detached and semi-detached homes have seen the largest year-over-year price adjustments, while townhouse prices are essentially unchanged and apartment prices are slightly higher.
This is exactly why I always caution people against relying too heavily on a single headline about the real estate market.
There isn't just one Cochrane market.
A detached home in the $800,000 range is competing in a very different environment than a townhouse in the $400,000s.
And even within the same price range, two homes can perform very differently depending on their location, condition, layout, and how they're priced.
The benchmark price is a great way to understand the bigger picture, but it doesn't tell you exactly what your home is worth.
For that, we need to look at the homes you're actually competing against.
Homes Are Taking Longer to Sell
The average days on market in October was 56 days, compared to 52 days in October 2025.
That's an increase of four days.
It might not sound like a huge difference, but when we combine it with rising inventory and fewer sales, it tells us something important.
Buyers aren't feeling the same urgency they once did.
They're booking showings, comparing properties, thinking things over, and sometimes deciding to wait.
And I think this is where sellers can understandably become frustrated.
You can have a beautiful home, professional photography, great marketing, and still not see the level of activity you expected.
It's not necessarily because there's something wrong with the home.
Sometimes the challenge is simply that there are more homes available than there are buyers ready to purchase them.
That said, buyers are still making decisions, and homes are still selling.
The key is making sure your property is positioned competitively from the beginning.
One other interesting number? Homes sold for an average of 97.8% of their final list price in October.
For example, a home listed at $600,000 would sell for approximately $586,800 if it achieved that same percentage.
Of course, that's just an illustration. Every transaction is different.
And keep in mind that the sale-to-list price ratio compares the sale price to the final asking price, not necessarily the original asking price. If a seller reduced their price before accepting an offer, that earlier reduction isn't reflected in this percentage.
That's an important distinction!
Not Every Property Type Is Experiencing the Same Market
Let's dig a little deeper, because this is where the numbers get interesting.
Detached Homes
There were 32 detached home sales in October, down 20% from last year.
Meanwhile, inventory reached 190 homes, and months of supply climbed to 5.94.
With a benchmark price of $653,000, down 3.4% year-over-year, detached homes are clearly experiencing some pressure.
Buyers have more choices, and sellers need to be realistic about what comparable properties are offering.
Semi-Detached Homes
Semi-detached homes recorded 13 sales, an increase of 18% compared to last October.
That's encouraging, but inventory was also up 32%, bringing months of supply to 6.31.
The benchmark price was $491,600, down 4.6% year-over-year.
So even though sales improved, there's still considerable competition in this segment.
Townhouses / Row Homes
Townhouses recorded 15 sales in October, down 12% year-over-year.
Inventory increased significantly, up 57% to 72 available homes.
That puts months of supply at 4.80.
Interestingly, the benchmark price remained unchanged year-over-year at $438,400.
This is a good example of how increased inventory doesn't automatically mean prices fall immediately. Pricing can remain relatively stable even as market conditions begin to shift.
Apartments
Apartment sales were quite limited in October, with just two sales recorded.
There were 17 apartments in inventory, resulting in 8.50 months of supply.
The benchmark price increased 1.6% year-over-year to $348,700.
Now, before we read too much into that 8.50-month figure, remember that we're dealing with only two sales.
When the number of transactions is that small, even one or two additional sales can dramatically change the statistics.
It's a perfect example of why context matters.
But Here's Something Interesting – We're Still Ahead of Last Year's Sales Overall
Despite October's slower activity, Cochrane has actually recorded more sales so far in 2026 than we had during the same period in 2025.
Through the end of October:
- 871 homes sold, up 4% year-over-year
- 1,620 new listings, up 11%
- Year-to-date benchmark price: $568,380, down approximately 2%
- Year-to-date months of supply: 3.69
So while October itself was slower, the year as a whole hasn't been quite as quiet as the latest monthly numbers might suggest.
What's changed is the balance between how many homes are being listed and how many buyers are purchasing them.
New listings are growing faster than sales.
And that's what's creating more competition for sellers.
It's also worth noting that year-to-date months of supply is lower than October's monthly figure. That's because the year-to-date number reflects activity across the first ten months, while October's figure captures conditions during that specific month.
In other words, October was noticeably softer than the market we've experienced on average throughout 2026.
So, What Does This Mean if You're Buying?
If you're considering purchasing a home, there are some real opportunities in today's market.
You have more selection, less pressure to make an immediate decision, and potentially more room to negotiate on price, possession dates, or conditions.
That doesn't mean every seller is willing to accept a significantly lower offer, and it certainly doesn't mean every home is overpriced.
Well-priced, desirable properties can still attract strong interest.
But compared to the extremely competitive conditions we've experienced in previous years, buyers generally have more breathing room.
And that's a good thing!
My advice? Don't focus solely on trying to time the absolute bottom of the market.
Focus on finding the right home, understanding its value, and negotiating terms that make sense for you.
And What if You're Selling?
This is where expectations become really important.
The market has changed, and the strategy that worked two years ago, or even 5-6 months ago, might not work today.
Buyers are more selective, they're comparing more properties, and they're paying close attention to value.
That means pricing your home based on what similar properties sold for six months ago may not be enough.
We need to consider what's currently available, what's recently sold, what's sitting on the market, and how your property compares.
Because here's something I always remind my sellers:
You're not just competing against sold homes. You're competing against the homes buyers can choose instead of yours today.
And sometimes that competition is significant.
Does that mean you need to give your home away? Absolutely not.
But it does mean being strategic, realistic, and willing to adjust if the market is telling us something.
The goal isn't simply to get your home listed.
The goal is to get it sold.
My Take on October's Market
If I had to sum up October in one sentence, it would be this:
Cochrane's market is still moving, but buyers are firmly in the driver's seat more often than they were a year ago.
We're seeing higher inventory, fewer monthly sales, longer selling times, and some modest downward pressure on prices.
But we're also seeing continued transactions, year-to-date sales ahead of last year, and certain property types holding their values better than others.
This isn't a market where nothing sells.
It's a market where buyers have more choices and sellers need to be more intentional.
And as we move into November and December, it'll be interesting to see how things develop. The winter months are typically quieter in real estate, so we may see sales activity slow further before the spring market begins to take shape.
For buyers, that could mean some interesting opportunities.
For sellers, it reinforces the importance of having a solid plan rather than simply hoping the right buyer comes along.
And for anyone wondering what their own home might be worth, remember that these numbers tell us what's happening across Cochrane as a whole. Your specific neighbourhood, property type, price range, and competition tell a much more detailed story.
As always, if you're curious about where your home fits into today's market, or you're considering making a move, I'm always happy to chat.
No pressure, no obligation. Just a conversation about what makes sense for you.
Source: CREB® October 2026 Monthly Statistics – Cochrane, based on Pillar 9 data.
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