August was a hard month here, and I want to say that plainly before getting into any numbers. Evacuations displaced families across the Interior, homes were lost, and for a lot of people, real estate was rightfully the last thing on their mind. If that was you or someone you love, my thoughts are with you first, numbers second.
Central Okanagan By The Numbers
The Association of Interior REALTORS® released August numbers today, and they're the first real look at how the wildfires affected the market here. Across Central Okanagan, there were 327 residential sales in August, a real drop from July, though the timing tells you more about evacuations and smoke than about buyer demand.
Single-Family Homes
142 single-family homes sold in August, down 9.6% from a year ago and down 30.7% from July. The benchmark price came in at $1,056,700, down 2.0% year over year and down 1.5% from July. Homes took 60 days to sell on average, up 3.4% from last year. Active inventory sits at 1,219, down 17.7% year over year, and only 296 new listings came onto the market, down 22.7%.
Townhomes
42 townhomes sold, down 10.6% year over year and down 40.0% from July. The benchmark price was $698,600, down 3.3% year over year and down 1.5% from July.
Condos
96 condos sold, down 5.0% year over year and down 10.3% from July. The benchmark price was $465,700, down 5.5% year over year and down 5.1% from July.
What The Association Is Saying
Association president Ryan Mayne put it plainly: “August was a difficult month for our communities. Evacuations displaced families, homes were lost, and the focus rightfully shifted away from real estate. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.” He added that activity slowed as a result, which he called completely understandable given what so many people were going through.
What This Means Heading Into Fall
None of this looks like a market losing steam. The drop in sales is tied directly to a month where evacuations and smoke understandably came before house hunting for a lot of people. Inventory and new listings pulled back too, so the balance between buyers and sellers didn't shift much either way.
As things settle into fall, I'd expect activity to pick back up closer to a normal pace. If you were holding off on a move because of everything going on in August, that hesitation makes complete sense, and there's no rush to catch up on lost time. If you're thinking about buying or selling this fall, I'm happy to walk through what these numbers actually mean for your street or your building.
Reply to this or reach out any time. I'd rather talk through your specific situation than have you guess from a headline.
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This post reflects market statistics published by the Association of Interior REALTORS® for August 2026 and is intended for general information only. It isn't financial or investment advice. Real estate values vary by property and neighbourhood, so reach out and I'll pull the specific comparables for your situation.
Tarynn
