It was the best April on record for MLS®

April recorded the highest MLS® sales and dollar volume totals for the month in the 105-year history of the WinnipegREALTORS® Association.

The final dollar volume figure for April was helped by the sale of three $1-million-plus homes. The highest sale price realized for one of the homes was $1.25 million. 

It is the first time in WinnipegREALTORS® history that three homes sold in the same month for over $1-million. 

“This record-setting month brings our year-to-date sales almost up to the same period in 2007,” said WinnipegREALTORS® Association president Darlene Clare.

“The total MLS® sales and dollar volume is actually a few percentage points lower than what we had predicted in our 2008 forecast at the start of the year,” she added.

April MLS® sales were up eight per cent to 1,355 units vs. the 1,248 units recorded in April 2007. Dollar volume rose by 28 per cent, resulting in $272.7 million in MLS® sales.

From January 1 to the end of April, MLS® sales are down just one per cent, but dollar volume continued its record-setting pace, rising by 17 per cent to $701.4 million.

“What is most encouraging is the influx of new listings this past month,” said Clare. “Close to 1,900 listings were entered on MLS® which is the highest number we’ve had for the month in 10 years.

“Of course, with more listings and demand remaining brisk, three out of four new listings were sold in April,” she added. “As a result, WinnipegREALTORS® had its first April when MLS® sales eclipsed 1,300 units, and dollar volume was double the total for the month in 2004.”

The most active segment of the residential-detached housing market was the $160,000 to $199,000 price range, recording 22 per cent of all sales. Next was the over $300,000 price range with 17 per cent of sales.

The under-$100,000 price range remains in  free fall, dropping to less that 10 per cent of the market. At one time, the under-$100,000 price range represented the lion’s share of the Winnipeg real estate market.

The average days on the real estate market in April was 22, one day ahead of last year’s pace and a day slower than April 2007.