Best month to buy a house in Quebec: days on market and the price obtained against the asking price, month by month in 50 cities, ten years (Centris)

Best month to buy · 50 cities · Centris 2016-2026

One page per city, same definitions, same source: days on market and the price obtained against the asking price, month by month over ten years, the month most favourable to the buyer, the tightest, the season, and what the seasonal margin is really worth.

Across the 50 cities tracked, the month most favourable to the buyer is January in 42 cities, December in 5 cities; the tightest, March in 20 cities, April in 16 cities. In median across cities, the delay is longest in January (47.6 days) and shortest in March (27.0 days); the sold-to-asking ratio is lowest in January (97.8%) and highest in March (99.6%). Between a city's best and worst month, 21.4 days and 1.8 point in median. By season: winter 38.5 days and 98.3%, spring 28.2 days and 99.5%. The most favourable season is winter in 46 cities, fall in 4 cities. 23 cities have at least one month at 100% or more of the asking price on average. Widest gap: Westmount (82.0 d), Joliette (62.3 d), Dorval (39.7 d); narrowest: Mascouche (9.9 d), Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville (9.0 d), Saint-Constant (7.6 d). Source: Centris (Matrix), compiled October 14, 2026.

The 50 cities, from the widest seasonal gap to the narrowest

Single-family houses sold on Centris, 2016-2026 average by month of sale: the month most favourable to the buyer (long delay, low ratio) with its average median delay and its sold ÷ asking ratio, the tightest month, the gap between the two, the most favourable season.

What the table says

The Quebec market has a clock, and it runs backwards for the buyer. Across the 50 cities, the median delay is longest in January (47.6 days in median across cities) and shortest in March (27.0 days); the sold-to-asking ratio hits its floor in January (97.8%) and its ceiling in March (99.6%). Winter gives 38.5 days and 98.3%, spring 28.2 days and 99.5%, summer 31.6 days and 98.5%, fall 29.6 days and 98.2%. The most favourable month falls in winter in 48 of 50 cities and the tightest in spring or June in 44; in 19 cities, the same month combines the longest delay and the lowest ratio. Between a city's best and worst month, the margin is worth 21.4 days and 1.8 point of price in median: real, but modest, and 23 cities have at least one month when the typical house goes above its asking price. The seasonal gap is widest in Westmount (82.0 d), Joliette (62.3 d), Dorval (39.7 d) and narrowest in Mascouche (9.9 d), Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville (9.0 d), Saint-Constant (7.6 d).

Caveat: ten-year averages of monthly values (2016 to 2026, 2026 up to September), computed by Centris on closed sales; seasonality describes the past and guarantees nothing for next month; a month's ratio rests on that month's sales only, and the monthly median price is noisy in cities where few houses sell.

How to read the table

The month is that of the accepted offer. The "delay" is the median days on market of the sales closed that month (listing live to accepted offer), averaged over ten years; the "ratio" is the sale price divided by the asking price at the time of sale, averaged the same way. The best month for the buyer adds the delay (scaled between 0 and 1) and the inverse of the ratio (same); the worst is the month with the lowest score. The most favourable season compares three-month averages. Each city page details the twelve months, the seasons, the link with sales volume and what the seasonal margin is worth against the offer price.

Method

All series come from the Statistics module of Centris (Matrix), queried on the night of October 13 to 14, 2026 with the same parameters for the 50 cities: Single-family category, whole municipality (boroughs or sectors combined for Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Longueuil, Gatineau, Lévis, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Terrebonne, Repentigny), median days on market and sale price vs asking price (ratio) by month over ten years, averaged by calendar month. Only aggregates are published. The same cities have their best month to sell, days on market and sold over asking pages.

Frequently asked questions

Should you wait for winter to buy?

Not necessarily. Winter brings the most patient sellers and the lowest ratio, but also the fewest homes for sale: the right house is not always listed in January. The seasonal margin (1.8 point in median) is worth less than an offer built on the latest comparable sales, a pre-approval in hand and a serious inspection. A buyer ready in spring who finds the right house should not wait until December to save a point.

My city is not listed?

We publish the cities where Centris has enough sales each month for reliable averages. A broker from the team can pull the same statistics for any municipality or neighbourhood in Quebec.

Our proof, not our promises

The Loaa & Manseur team, led by Lotfi Manseur and Loaa Al Daow, is the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 of large residential teams according to the official RE/MAX ranking, computed on actual transactions. Its Google profile counts more than 220 reviews with a 4.9 rating. Its offices are at 55 avenue de l'Équinoxe in Brossard, one bridge from the island, and every broker's licence can be checked in the OACIQ public register. Three things to verify yourself before calling us, and to demand of any other broker.

Also available in French: version française de ce guide.

Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.