Real estate signs stand in front of housing in Vaughan, Ont., on May 24, 2017.MARK BLINCH/Reuters
Canada's residential real estate market saw strong, but slowing year-over-year price growth in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to a report by Royal LePage.
The real estate company says based on data in 53 markets, the price of a home in Canada increased 10.8 per cent year-over-year to $626,042 in the quarter.
Broken down housing type, Royal LePage says the median price of a two-storey home rose 11.1 per cent year-over-year to $741,924, and the median price of a bungalow climbed 7.1 per cent to $522,963.
But the company says in its report released Wednesday that the median price of a condo grew faster than any other housing type studied, rising 14.3 per cent to $420,823 on a year-over-year basis due to gains in many of the largest markets.
In the Greater Toronto Area, the median price of a condo grew 19.5 per cent year-over-year to $476,421, while in the City of Toronto, the cost of a condo rose 19.6 per cent to $515,578.
In Greater Vancouver, condominiums followed a similar pattern during the quarter, rising 20.2 per cent to $651,885, while the median price of a condo unit in the City of Vancouver rose 18.7 per cent to $775,806.
Royal LePage also says the GTA showed signs of slowing as 2017 drew to a close, notably in the single-family detached segment.
In the fourth quarter, the median price of a two-storey home and bungalow in Toronto and surrounding area fell by 2.0 and 2.4 per cent respectively on a quarter-over-quarter basis.
The company says condos were the only segment to appreciate on a quarter-over-quarter basis among all housing types, rising 1.1 per cent in the final three months of the year.
At the same time, the price of two-storey homes and bungalows fell 0.3 and 0.2 per cent quarter-over-quarter, respectively.
"To prospective homeowners in our largest cities, condominiums represent the last bastion of affordability," said Royal LePage president and CEO Phil Soper.
"This is especially true for first-time buyers whose purchasing power has been reduced by tightening mortgage regulations."