By Shawn Zigelstein, Broker | Team Zold, Royal LePage Signature Realty
Published September 2026
Last month we mentioned that Markham was sitting just one point away from TRREB's balanced-market line. Well, in August, it actually crossed it.
The sales-to-new-listings ratio hit 40.3% this month—marking the first time any municipality in York Region has touched that 40% threshold in over two years. Total sales jumped 17.5% compared to last August while new listings dropped 8%, pulling active inventory below 1,100 homes for the first time since the spring of 2023. We saw the average price land at $1,208,692, up 6.4% year over year, while the median barely budged. There's a very specific reason why those two numbers diverged, and it tells you a lot about what buyers were targeting this month.
How Did Markham Real Estate Change Year Over Year in August 2026?
Markham recorded 282 total sales this August, up from 240 a year ago. That 17.5% increase is the strongest year-over-year sales bump we saw anywhere in York Region this month. While the average price climbed 6.4% to $1,208,692, the median price stayed almost completely flat at $1,095,000, ticking up by just $1,000.
| Metric | Aug 2026 | Aug 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Sales | 282 | 240 | +17.5% |
| Average Price | $1,208,692 | $1,135,760 | +6.4% |
| Median Price | $1,095,000 | $1,094,000 | +0.1% |
| New Listings | 584 | 635 | -8.0% |
| SNLR | 40.3% | 37.8% | +2.5 pts |
| Active Listings | 1,091 | 1,222 | -10.7% |
| Months of Inventory | 4.1 | 5.1 | -1.0 |
| Sale-to-List Price Ratio | 98% | 98% | 0 |
Source: TRREB Market Watch, August 2026
When you see the average price jump 6.4% while the median moves just 0.1%, it immediately points to product mix. Detached home sales surged from 88 up to 137—a massive 55.7% increase—with those properties averaging $1,611,773. Because our higher-end detached segment made up a much larger slice of the total sales pie this month, it pulled the composite average upward even though individual home values didn't shoot up across the board. The median price tells us that the typical everyday home in Markham is valued right where it was last year.
Average Sold Price by Property Type
| Property Type | August 2025 | August 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached (137 sales) | $1,573,623 | $1,611,773 | +2.4% |
| Semi-Detached (15 sales) | $1,103,822 | $958,133 | -13.2% |
| Freehold Townhouse (39 sales) | $1,137,962 | $1,031,119 | -9.4% |
| Condo Townhouse (28 sales) | $828,398 | $812,567 | -1.9% |
| Condo Apartment (57 sales) | $652,562 | $638,332 | -2.2% |
Source: TRREB Market Watch, August 2026
Median Sold Price by Property Type
| Property Type | August 2025 | August 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached (137 sales) | $1,501,500 | $1,488,000 | -0.9% |
| Semi-Detached (15 sales) | $1,042,900 | $945,000 | -9.4% |
| Freehold Townhouse (39 sales) | $1,080,000 | $995,000 | -7.9% |
| Condo Townhouse (28 sales) | $745,000 | $750,000 | +0.7% |
| Condo Apartment (57 sales) | $619,500 | $563,800 | -9.0% |
Source: TRREB Market Watch, August 2026
Detached homes were really the engine driving the market this August, marking Markham's busiest month for detached sales so far this year. Freehold and condo townhouses both hit 100% sale-to-list ratios, which tells us there's good competition happening—properties are balancing out with some selling above asking and others negotiating below. Semi-detached numbers look a bit volatile with a 13.2% average drop, but when you're only looking at 15 sales total, just a couple of lower-priced closings can swing that average quite a bit. Condo apartments held up relatively well compared to what we've seen in other parts of the region, dipping just 2.2% on the average to $638,332.
What Has Markham Real Estate Done Over the Past 12 Months?
Looking back over the last year, average prices ranged from a low of $1,068,928 back in February up to $1,230,833 last October, making August's $1,208,692 our second-highest reading in twelve months. Monthly sales bottomed out at 163 in January and peaked at 360 in June. But the real story is the sales-to-new-listings ratio: it climbed every single month straight from 34.5% in January up to 40.3% in August, while inventory steadily worked its way down from 4.7 to 4.1 months.
| Month | Average Price | Sales | SNLR | MOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $1,208,692 | 282 | 40.3% | 4.1 |
| July 2026 | $1,131,324 | 288 | 39.4% | 4.2 |
| June 2026 | $1,136,454 | 360 | 38.8% | 4.3 |
| May 2026 | $1,199,667 | 303 | 37.4% | 4.5 |
| April 2026 | $1,140,668 | 250 | 35.9% | 4.6 |
| March 2026 | $1,155,505 | 225 | 35.7% | 4.7 |
| February 2026 | $1,068,928 | 182 | 35.2% | 4.7 |
| January 2026 | $1,100,945 | 163 | 34.5% | 4.7 |
| December 2025 | $1,187,221 | 171 | 34.5% | 4.7 |
| November 2025 | $1,149,893 | 219 | 34.9% | 4.6 |
| October 2025 | $1,230,833 | 281 | 35.5% | 4.4 |
| September 2025 | $1,177,290 | 259 | 35.9% | 4.3 |
Source: TRREB Market Watch, September 2025 through August 2026
Eight consecutive months of ratio gains without a single dip is hard to ignore, and no other municipality in York Region has put together a streak like that. When you pair those rising ratios with months of inventory dropping down from 4.7 to 4.1, it's clear this isn't just a temporary data quirk—Markham has steadily absorbed its surplus inventory all year long.
How Did Markham's August Compare to July 2026?
Sales dropped just 2.1% from July's 288, which is basically standard late-summer movement. Meanwhile, the average price rose 6.8% to $1,208,692 and the median ticked up 3.1% to $1,095,000, both pushed along by that strong detached showing. New listings fell 17% from 704 down to 584, and that drop in fresh supply is what ultimately carried our SNLR over the 40% mark. If you want to look back at how things shaped up last month, check out our Markham July 2026 Market Update.
What This Means Heading into September 2026
What Should Markham Sellers Do Right Now?
You're operating in the first balanced market in York Region, which gives you more leverage than you've seen since early 2022. If you're selling a freehold or condo townhouse, seeing both segments hit 100% of asking means well-priced listings are starting to pull in competing offers again. Detached sellers have 137 sales and a solid 98% sale-to-list ratio backing them up. Early September—right before the typical fall rush of inventory hits—is a great window to get on the market. Just make sure you price based on the last 90 days of local comparable sales rather than 2022 peak pricing, and you'll see traction.
Is This a Good Time to Buy in Markham?
Let's be realistic: the easiest deals in Markham are behind us. A year ago, we were sitting at a 35.6% SNLR with 1,222 active listings to browse through. Today we are at 40.3% with 1,091 active listings. Buyers can still find some breathing room at the upper end of the detached market where homes priced above $2 million take longer to move, as well as in the condo apartment sector where prices dipped 2.2% on average. But if you're looking in the freehold middle—anything between $900,000 and $1,100,000—expect competition. Come pre-approved, move quickly on well-priced homes, and keep in mind that the heavy conditional-offer environment we've relied on for two years is fading fast in Markham.
What to Watch in September 2026
First, watch whether that SNLR can hold above 40%. August crossed the line partly because new listings took a 17% dive, but September usually brings a fresh wave of supply. If listings flood back in and the ratio slips back to 38%, then crossing the line was mostly seasonal; if it holds, Markham is officially charting a new path for the region. Second, keep an eye on detached volume. August's 137 sales were a yearly high, and whether that pace continues will dictate if our average price stays above $1.2 million. Third, pay attention to semi-detached homes—at 15 sales it was a quiet month, but one active stretch in September could easily flip those metrics.