Fort St. John real estate sales decline in 2024 first quarter

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Real estate sales in Fort St. John are down compared to last year, according to the BC Northern Real Estate Board (BCNREB).

Fort St. John reported 108 property sales in the first quarter of 2024, with a combined value of $40.6 million. This is a decrease from the first quarter of 2023 when 117 properties worth $46.6 million changed hands.

Since the start of the year, 50 single-family homes, nine half-duplexes, four homes on acreages, four manufactured homes in parks, and nine manufactured homes on land have sold in the city.

As of March 31st, 464 Fort St. John properties are listed for sale on the BCNREB’s Multiple Listing Service, an increase from the 453 available at the same time last year.

The BCNREB reported 822 sales worth $329 million across northern BC in the first quarter of the year, compared to 719 sales worth $266 million by the end of March 2023.

The board’s report states, “Sales in the BC Northern region remained cool in the first quarter of 2024, with sales activity below the seasonal average for the region during most of the period.”

According to the real estate board, seasonally adjusted sales in northern BC were down about nine per cent compared to the historical average.

The average sale price declined to $404,000, about six per cent below its peak in 2020. 

Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted average number of days on the market rose to 81, which the BCNREB says is the highest level since 2011.

In Fort Nelson, 15 properties changed hands in the first quarter of 2024, down from 17 last year. However, the combined value rose to $2.3 million this year, compared to $2.1 million in 2023.

The organization says 108 properties are listed for sale in Fort Nelson, down from 112 at the same time last year.