1. Month vs Month — What Changed and Why It Matters
Total Showings
9,729
▼ 42 from August
New Listings
401
▼ 84 from August
Deals Written
873
▼ 117 from August
Median Sold Price
$569,950
▼ $7,425 from Aug
September's showing volume held essentially flat against August — 9,729 vs 9,771 — even as the market had 86 fewer active listings to look at. That means the buyers who were out were slightly more focused, not less interested. The drop was more noise than signal.
What did shift meaningfully was new supply. Only 401 homes listed in September, down from 485 in August — a 17% decline in fresh inventory. Fewer new listings with stable showings means each listing that did come to market drew comparatively more attention.
The deal count fell from 990 to 873 (−12%), which tracks with the supply contraction. There were simply fewer homes to sell. The ratio of deals to total market (sold ÷ total available) stayed at 21% in both months — the market absorbed what it had at a consistent rate.
Price Behaviour
Median sold price eased from $577,375 in August to $569,950 in September, a modest pullback of about 1.3%. Meanwhile, the share of sales closing under asking climbed from 68% to 73%. Price reductions rose as well — 243 sellers dropped their price in September (up from 237), with the average reduction jumping to $55,984 from $45,087. Sellers who overpriced were being corrected faster and more steeply.
At the same time, the average premium for over-asking sales rose to $25,004 from $19,368, though fewer sellers earned it (48 vs 62). The market rewarded well-priced, well-presented homes handsomely — and penalised the rest.
Days on Market
DOM ticked up from 39 to 43 days. Not a dramatic change, but it signals that buyers are taking a bit longer to commit. Days Active held steady at 81 in both months — properties that aren't selling within the first few weeks are sitting longer.
September Showings by Price Range
Source: ShowingTime. Single Family, Halifax–Dartmouth. Under-$1M report only (see methodology note).
Where the traffic is: The $400K–$699K corridor generated 3,110 showings — roughly two-thirds of all under-$1M activity. The $500K–$599K band alone accounted for 1,276 showings at 5.00 per listing. Above $700K, activity per listing dropped to 3.5 or below.
2. Inventory & Competition Snapshot — August vs September
| Metric | August | September | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listings (start of month) | 1,200 | 1,198 | −2 |
| New Listings Added | 485 | 401 | −84 (−17%) |
| Total Market (Active + Listed) | 1,685 | 1,599 | −86 (−5%) |
| Total Showings (NSAR lockbox) | 9,771 | 9,729 | −42 (<1%) |
| Showings per Listing | 5.80 | 6.08 | +0.28 |
| Deals Written | 990 | 873 | −117 (−12%) |
| Price Reductions | 237 | 243 | +6 |
| Avg Price Reduction | $45,087 | $55,984 | +$10,897 |
| Sold Under Asking | 68% | 73% | +5 pts |
| Median Days on Market | 39 | 43 | +4 days |
The Math on Competition
In August, 1,685 homes competed for 9,771 showings — roughly 5.80 showings per listing across the month.
In September, the pool shrank to 1,599 homes while showings held at 9,729. Each listing averaged 6.08 showings — a modest but real improvement.
Key takeaway: Fewer listings + stable buyer demand = slightly better odds per seller. But 73% of sales still closed under asking, so pricing precision was the differentiator — not simply being on the market.
Showings per Listing — August vs September
3. What This Means for Sellers Right Now
- Price it right the first time. 73% of September sales closed under asking, and the average price reduction hit nearly $56,000. Buyers are comparison-shopping against a deep inventory — an aspirational list price isn't a negotiation tactic, it's a missed-showing magnet.
- The first two weeks are everything. DOM climbed to 43 days, but the best-positioned homes still sold fast. The gap between well-priced homes (gone in under three weeks) and overpriced ones (sitting past 81 days active) is widening.
- The $400K–$699K range is the competition zone. Two-thirds of all showing activity lands in this band. If your home is priced here, you'll get traffic — but so will the 20 others on a buyer's shortlist. Presentation and condition are how you separate.
- Above $700K, expect a longer timeline. Showings per listing drop below 3.5 above the $700K mark. Luxury buyers are more deliberate, and inventory thins out — fewer showings, but also fewer competing listings.
- Supply is tightening — use that. September saw 17% fewer new listings than August. If you're listing into October, you face less new competition than sellers did two months ago.
- Condition sells, not just location. With 48 homes selling above asking (at an average premium of $25,004), the market is still rewarding homes that are move-in-ready and well-presented.
Data sources & methodology
Showing counts are from NSAR lockbox data for Halifax Regional Municipality, September 1–30, 2026 (9,732 total lockbox transactions). The ShowingTime reports cover single-family residential in Halifax–Dartmouth for September 2026.
ShowingTime vs lockbox totals: NSAR lockbox data captures all electronic lockbox openings. ShowingTime data captures showings booked through the ShowingTime platform. The two systems track related but not identical activity — slight variances between totals are expected and do not indicate a data error.
Overlap note: The under-$1M and over-$1M ShowingTime reports share an overlapping price band near $900K. Figures from the two reports should not be summed directly.
All inventory, sales, and pricing figures are from Sandra Pike's market tracking spreadsheet, sourced from NSAR MLS data. "Total market" is calculated as active listings at month start plus new listings added during the month.
This report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an appraisal or guarantee of market conditions. Individual property outcomes vary based on location, condition, and pricing strategy.
