Ottawa new home sales jump 81% in September to 521, builders say

OTTAWA: New home sales in Ottawa rose 81.5 per cent in September from a year earlier to 521, the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) said Oct. 20, even as resale activity across the country slowed.

In its monthly report prepared with market analysts PMA Brethour, GOHBA said September’s total compared with 287 sales in September 2025 and was up 12.3 per cent from 464 in August. Year-to-date sales reached 4,078, a 53.8 per cent increase from 2,652 at the same point last year, the association said. CTV News Ottawa also reported the 521 and 287 figures.

Row of newly built townhouses with a construction site in the foreground — Illustrative stock photograph of new townhouse construction, not a photo of any project mentioned in this story. Photo: Troy Mortier / Unsplash.

Ground-oriented homes dominated. GOHBA said townhouses made up 44 per cent of September sales, single-detached homes 35 per cent, condominium townhouses 20 per cent and condominium apartments just two per cent. The release gives percentages only, and the shares add to 101 per cent because of rounding. By our calculation from those shares, that works out to roughly 229 townhouses, 182 single-detached homes, 104 condo townhouses and 10 condo apartments. Those counts are our estimate, not published figures.

By area, the west end accounted for 43 per cent of sales, the south end 40 per cent, the east end 15 per cent and the central area two per cent, GOHBA said.

The condo apartment share stands out against the rest of the country’s new-build picture. CMHC data we reported earlier this month showed Toronto actual housing starts down 61 per cent in September from a year earlier, a drop tied to the condo slump. Ottawa’s September sales, by contrast, were driven by low-rise ownership homes.

Resale market moves the other way

The surge in new-home sales came as existing-home activity softened nationally. The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) said Canadian home sales fell 2.3 per cent in September as fixed mortgage rates rose, and cut its 2026 forecast. Lenders including CIBC and TD raised fixed rates on Sept. 29, which we covered in a look at what the increases add to monthly payments.

GOHBA’s figures do not explain why Ottawa new-home buyers are bucking that trend, and the release does not say whether builders offered incentives or price cuts. Royal LePage said in its third-quarter survey that Ottawa prices rose while Vancouver and Toronto fell.

New homes under construction in a suburban development — Illustrative stock photograph of homes under construction, not a photo of an Ottawa site. Photo: Troy Mortier / Unsplash.

Builders press for development charge relief

The association used the numbers to argue for lower building costs. Jason Burggraaf, GOHBA’s executive director, said: “Improving affordability means supporting more ownership housing too.” He described finalizing a development charge reduction agreement as “an immediate opportunity to lower building costs.”

The release, headlined “Ottawa’s Housing Momentum Builds Case for Development Charge Relief,” also cites CMHC’s latest report on the widening gap between housing supply and need in Ottawa. GOHBA is an industry group that represents builders, so its framing of the sales data reflects its members’ interests. The release does not say how much of the September total was pre-construction versus move-in-ready inventory.

The monthly pace has been strong for several months. GOHBA’s earlier reports put June sales at 490 (up 31 per cent from 374 a year earlier) and July at 420 (up 53.3 per cent from 274).