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New Ottawa home sales hit five-year high for July, builders group says

August 20, 2025

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New home sales were up nearly 10 per cent year-over-year last month as transactions reached their highest July level since the pandemic, the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association says. A total of 275 new housing units were sold in Ottawa in July, marking a five-year high and a 9.6 per cent hike from July 2024, according to the latest housing market report from the GOHBA and PMA Brethour Realty Group. While Ottawa still lags behind last year’s overall sales pace since the start of 2025, the strong July helped narrow the gap. Overall, 2,067 new homes were purchased in the first seven months of the year, a 1.5 per cent drop from the same period a year earlier. “July’s performance reflects the ongoing strength of the local housing market, despite the earlier challenges we faced in 2025,” Jason Burggraaf, executive director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, said in a statement. “While the federal government continues to explore measures to support housing growth, it’s crucial that we don’t lose momentum. Delays or cancellations of new projects could undermine the progress we’ve made so far.” The city’s south and west ends continue to be the most popular neighbourhoods for homebuyers, with the sound end accounting for 40 per cent of all transactions and 28 per cent occurring in the west end. The east end captured 24 per cent of sales, while central Ottawa accounted for eight per cent. Townhomes remained the most sought-after property type, accounting for 48 per cent of all new home sales in July. Single-family homes made up 35 per cent of sales, while condo townhomes represented 11 per cent and condo apartments six per cent. The report comes a week after the Ottawa Real Estate Board said the city’s resale home market also had its busiest July since the pandemic. OREB said home sales rose 4.9 per cent in July compared with a year earlier as 1,318 properties changed hands. It was the highest number of transactions in the month since 2021, when 1,508 homes were sold.