Home sales, prices, down slightly in ‘25

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Housing sales in the Woodstock Ingersoll and Tillsonburg Area Association of Realtors (WITAAR) area were down slightly in 2025, as were prices.

Derrek de Jonge, a realtor Royal LePage R.E. Wood Realty in Tillsonburg, started as president of the group in December.

Home sales across the board in 2025 was 1,631 units, which was down only three units from 2024’s total, according to CREA (The Canadian Real Estate Association) statistics.

“The sales activity was definitely steady,” he said. “With headwinds to the economy, it may have dampened sales.”

de Jonge said steady was a positive.

“It was steady and resilient compared to some of the worst-case scenarios,” he said.

Total sales volume in dollars was down 12 per cent in 2025, as compared to 2024, but residential was only down 3.6 per cent.

“The housing sector was more resilient than the commercial or farming sector,” he said.

Within the housing sector, de Jonge pointed to condos as a weakness. Single detached homes are still coming in with a higher price point.

Farms are still in demand with steady pricing.

“When farms come up, there’s still multiple bids,” he said.

de Jonge said the story of 2025 was more houses coming on the market, which put downward pressure on price. Across the board, there were 533 units on the market at the end of December, which was a 12.7 per cent increase from a year earlier and the highest number for end of December in a decade. This number is an incredible 44.8 per cent above the five-year average.

“A lot more homes were available, and that gives buyers more choice,” he said.

The median number of days on the market increased from 27 in 2024 to 32 last year.

Although there are no official stats, de Jonge said buyers get good value for the dollar in Tillsonburg. Building has slowed in Tillsonburg with more inventory on the market, and single detached homes are remaining in demand.

“Tillsonburg has more approved homes, more active developments in progress,” he said.

Woodstock’s prices are generally a little higher and Ingersoll hasn’t seen a huge change since the wind down of CAMOI.

“That’s always a concern if we have a number of job losses in an area, it’s not good for the local economy,” he said.

With the average price for WITAAR listings in December at $627,496, which was down 3.6 per cent from a year earlier, de Jonge more first-time buyers, who may have been sitting on the sidelines for two or three years, are now getting in.

“We’ve definitely seen quite a bit of activity from first-time home buyers as prices came down and interest rates held steady,” he said.

Asked about the negatives for the 2025 market, de Jonge answered, “Economic headwinds are definitely holding the market back. It just keeps people from investing when there is uncertainty. The uncertainty creates pause.”

Looking ahead to the coming year, De Jonge said stability in prices the past couple of years will hopefully get more buyers looking to move up.

“I don’t think there will be major fluctuations either way, but it will depend on the economic situation and confidence,” he said. “If we get a trade deal with the U.S., it will help with confidence.”

Speaking to prices in 2026, de Jonge said some models are predicting moderate growth, but again, it depends on the economy.

WITAAR represents more than 280 members across its area, with a wide diversity of specialties ranging from new builds, to commercial, to farms.