The London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR) reported a significant decline in sales activity for March 2025, with only 508 transactions, marking a 33.5% decrease from the previous year. New listings decreased by 11.0%, while active listings increased by 21.1%, indicating a growing inventory. The average price of homes in the region decreased slightly by 0.6% to $643,159. The sale to list price ratio remained close to previous years indicating sellers are still achieving near their asking prices.

LSTAR Chair Dale Marsh remarked, “The Canadian real estate market is facing a challenging environment due to various factors, such as U.S. tariffs and broader economic uncertainties. These uncertainties have clearly impacted consumer confidence, leading to the volatility we’re observing.” Despite interest rates being at acceptable levels, buyers are hesitant to make significant purchases, opting to wait and see how tariffs might affect their employment.

However, there are positive aspects to consider. The current market conditions may present opportunities for buyers who are prepared to act. With fewer buyers actively purchasing, there could be less competition for available properties, potentially leading to better deals. Additionally, some experts believe that once the economic uncertainties stabilize, the market could see a resurgence, making it a good time for buyers to plan and prepare for future investments.
Overall, while the market is challenging, it also offers unique opportunities for those who are strategic and patient.

The table below displays March’s average prices and MLS® HPI Benchmark Prices in LSTAR’s main regions.

Area	March 2025 MLS® HPI Benchmark Price	March 2025 Average Price
Central Elgin	$651,500	$776,633
London East	$488,200	$509,501
London North	$704,000	$752,776
London South	$615,700	$645,498
Middlesex Centre	$870,300	$975,178
St. Thomas	$561,500	$568,008
Strathroy-Caradoc	$824,300	$632,709
LSTAR	$614,300	$643,159

The various housing attributes, while the average sales price is calculated by adding all the sale prices for homes sold and dividing that total by the number of homes sold. The HPI benchmark price is helpful to gauge trends over time since averages may fluctuate by changes in the mix of sales activity from one month to the next.

In March 2025, the MLS® Home Price Index showed varied trends across property types. The composite benchmark price was $614,300, down 1.3% from last month but up 1.0% from a year ago. Single-family homes were priced at $666,100, down 1.1% from last month but up 2.0% from a year ago. One-storey homes increased to $613,300, up 0.9% from last month and 4.6% from a year ago. Two-storey homes decreased to $710,900, down 2.3% from last month but up 1.2% from a year ago. Townhouses and apartments saw declines, with prices at $489,100 and $378,600 respectively, showing significant drops from both short-term and long-term comparisons.

The following table displays March’s benchmark prices for all housing types within LSTAR’s jurisdiction and shows how they compare with those recorded in the previous month and three months ago.

MLS® Home Price Index Benchmark Prices
Benchmark Type	March 2025	Change Over  February 2025	Change Over December 2024
LSTAR Composite	$614,300	↓1.3%	↑0.7%
LSTAR Single-Family	$666,100	↓1.1%	↑1.6%
LSTAR One Storey	$613,300	↑0.9%	↑4.3%
LSTAR Two Storey	$710,900	↑2.3%	↑0.1%
LSTAR Townhouse	$489,100	↓1.6%	↓1.2%
LSTAR Apartment	$378,600	↓0.3%	↓7.8%

The chart below shows the most recent HPI benchmark prices across Canada.

According to a recent study¹ by Altus Group, an average housing transaction in Ontario generated an average of $88,966 in spin-off spending per transaction from 2020 to 2022. These expenses include legal fees, appraisers, moving costs, new appliances, and home renovation expenses.

Employment resulting from home sales is also significant, according to the Altus study. Resale housing activity created an estimated 106,565 jobs annually in Ontario from 2020 to 2022. Jobs include manufacturing, construction, finance and insurance.

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The London and St. Thomas real estate market has shown encouraging signs of growth and stability in October 2024. Sales activity notably increased, with 661 transactions recorded, up from 526 in October 2023. This represents a significant recovery from the previous year and highlights the market’s resilience.

New listings remained strong, with 1,388 new properties entering the market, slightly down from 1,415 in October 2023 but still reflecting a healthy supply of homes for potential buyers. This level of new listings is one of the highest in the past decade, indicating robust seller confidence.

In October 2024, new listings increased by 10.2%. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), a sales-to-new-listings ratio between 40% and 60% indicates a balanced market. LSTAR’s ratio year to date is 46.5%. This suggests that the market is stable, with a healthy balance between the number of homes being sold and the number of new listings.

LSTAR Chair Kathy Amess commented on the market trends: “The increase in sales activity and the steady number of new listings are very encouraging. It shows that our market is adapting well to current economic conditions. The availability of more active listings is a positive development, providing buyers with more choices and helping to balance the market.”

The table below displays October average prices and MLS® HPI Benchmark Prices in LSTAR’s main regions supplied by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). The average price of $623,189 for the LSTAR region was up 0.3% from October 2023 and down 3% from last month’s $641,583.

Area	October 2024 MLS® HPI Benchmark Price	October 2024 Average Price
Central Elgin	$639,200	$704,179
London East	$490,800	$482,894
London North	$703,900	$709,361
London South	$625,000	$681,182
Middlesex Centre	$850,500	$843,289
St. Thomas	$561,800	$556,623
Strathroy-Caradoc	$782,600	$663,786
LSTAR	$608,500	$623,189

The HPI benchmark price reflects the value of a “typical home” as assigned by buyers in a certain area based on various housing attributes, while the average sales price is calculated by adding all the sale prices for homes sold and dividing that total by the number of homes sold. The HPI benchmark price is helpful to gauge trends over time since averages may fluctuate by changes in the mix of sales activity from one month to the next.

The following table displays October benchmark prices for all housing types within LSTAR’s jurisdiction and shows how they compare with those recorded in the previous month and three months ago.

MLS® Home Price Index Benchmark Prices
Benchmark Type	October 2024	Change Over  September 2024	Change Over July 2024
LSTAR Composite	$608,500	↓0.5%	↓1.9%
LSTAR Single-Family	$655,400	↓0.7%	↓1.5%
LSTAR One Storey	$584,300	↓3.2%	↓4.9%
LSTAR Two Storey	$712,900	↑1.2%	↑1.1%
LSTAR Townhouse	$487,300	↓1.8%	↓5.1%
LSTAR Apartment	$412,300	↑4.2%	↓2.1%

Overall, while some categories have seen slight declines, the increase in two-storey homes and apartments indicates areas of growth and resilience in the market.

Amess further added, “We are optimistic about the future. We haven’t had time for the marketplace to realize the full effects from the Bank of Canada rate decrease last month so we look forward to seeing where things go in the next while. October does indicate that we are heading in the right direction.”

The chart below shows the most recent HPI benchmark prices across Canada.

According to a recent study¹ by Altus Group, an average housing transaction in Ontario generated an average of $88,966 in spin-off spending per transaction from 2020 to 2022. These expenses include legal fees, appraisers, moving costs, new appliances, and home renovation expenses.

Employment resulting from home sales is also significant, according to the Altus study. Resale housing activity created an estimated 106,565 jobs annually in Ontario from 2020 to 2022. Jobs include manufacturing, construction, finance, and insurance.