The Abbotsford housing market has been a bit of a rollercoaster so far this year, with last month bringing another downswing for most properties.

However, one group of homes that were in very high demand throughout May was townhomes, which were the only property type to see an increase in both sales and benchmark prices.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) reported that Abbotsford largely saw declines in home sales last month, with the biggest drop occurring among apartments, which fell by nearly nine per cent from April to May.

Detached homes also sold fewer units, experiencing a 1.6% drop in sales. However, townhome sales soared through the roof, climbing by more than 30%.

While the monthly changes were a bit of a mixed bag, the year-over-year differences were significantly down across the board, with all three property types seeing around 20% fewer sales than this same time last year.

Another universal change was the number of new listings, which decreased for all three property types.

Not only were townhouses the only Abbotsford property type to experience an increase in sales in May, but they were also the only one to see its benchmark price go up.

The $620,800 price was a 1.6% increase from April, but still sits 7% lower than May 2025.

Meanwhile, the price of detached homes went down by a single percentage to $1,175,000, and apartments dropped 2.8% to $389,000.

These changes in the Abbotsford housing market are mostly in line with the rest of the Fraser Valley, except for detached homes, which had much better performances in many other parts of the region, explained FVREB chair Ishaq Ismail.

“We’re seeing limited activity from first-time buyers right now, with much of the market being driven by homeowners looking to move up,” said Ismail.

“As prices in the detached segment have become more attainable, buyers with existing equity are finding opportunities to transition into larger homes and market segments that were out of reach just a few years ago.”

This preference for detached properties is reflected in the fact that they sat on the market for an average of only 35 days in May, which is four days faster than in April.

Townhomes and apartments both took multiple days longer, selling in 37 and 40 days, respectively.

FVREB CEO Baldev Gill said these numbers, while being an improvement for detached homes and apartments, are indicative of a lingering hesitation from potential homebuyers due to the financial struggles many BC residents are facing right now.

“Between economic uncertainty, concerns about job security, and the continued pressure of higher everyday costs, confidence has been slow to recover,” said Gill.

“At the same time, buyers who are financially prepared are finding some of the most favourable market conditions we’ve seen in some time.”

Townhouses Come Out On Top in Abbotsford Housing Market by Brandon Tucker | The News