Reselling a new condo in Quebec: what to know before you even buy new

Condo · New and resale

New sells well the first time. The second time is another story. Here is how to buy new while already thinking about resale.

Reselling a new condo is trickier than reselling a ten-year-old one, for three reasons. One: a first-time buyer of a new home can recover 100 % of the GST (on a price up to $1 million, maximum $50,000, phased out up to $1.5 million) for agreements signed on or after March 20, 2025; your resale buyer gets nothing, because your condo is no longer new. Two: as long as the developer is still selling units in the same building, it is your direct competitor, with the same view and finishes to choose. Three: condominiums are the slowest category of the 2026 market (62 days in the Montreal CMA in August, +12 days, with 19 % more listings). Reselling a new condo is therefore prepared before the purchase.

The GST rebate that does not transfer

Since 2025, the federal government refunds the full GST to first-time buyers of a new home: 100 % of the GST on a home priced up to $1 million, that is up to $50,000, then a declining rebate between $1 million and $1.5 million. The measure applies to agreements entered into on or after March 20, 2025, and before 2031. A first-time buyer is generally someone who, together with their spouse or common-law partner, has not lived in a home they owned during the current year or the four previous years. The claim is filed after taking possession, within two years (source: Revenu Québec tax news, March 16, 2026).

The consequence for resale: the rebate applies to a new home bought from a builder. When you resell, your condo is a used property; your buyer recovers no GST, and compares your all-in price with a new unit from the developer on which they could recover the tax. Your resale price must account for that. Quebec's QST follows its own rules, to be checked with Revenu Québec at the time of purchase.

The developer, your first competitor

Until a project is sold out, every resale in the building competes with the sales office: same floor plans, finishes to choose, sometimes incentives. A rational buyer takes new at equal price. Three possible answers: wait until the project is sold out, sell with an advantage new does not have (a furnished unit, parking, a locker, upgrades), or list below the developer's price while accounting for the GST gap.

The 2026 condo market: the slowest of the three

In the Montreal CMA in August 2026, condos sold in 62 days (12 more than a year earlier), against 42 for single-family homes, with 19 % more listings and a median price of $437,250 (+4 %). In Q2, CMA condo sales fell 10 %. On the South Shore, the Brossard/Saint-Lambert sector shows $404,000 (-3 %) with 18 % more supply; Candiac/La Prairie $450,000 (+12 %) but 70 % more supply. The message is constant: the condo buyer has choice, so the opening price and the presentation decide. See the Montreal condo market in 2026.

What to check before buying new, if you may resell

1. The assignment or resale clause before delivery. Some contracts forbid or restrict reselling the unit before possession, or charge fees. Read it before signing.
2. How many units remain and the phasing schedule. A three-phase project means a sales office open for years.
3. The contingency fund and the study required by Bill 16. A new building starts with an empty fund; a serious study avoids the special assessment that drags the resale down. See Bill 16 and the reserve fund.
4. The new-building warranty. Check what is covered, for how long, and what transfers to a subsequent buyer: a selling argument if you resell in the first years.
5. Actual condo fees after year one. Developers' provisional budgets are often optimistic; the second-year increase is a classic.

When to resell a new condo without losing

Two moments are more favourable: when the project is fully sold and the building has a transaction history (closed sales become your comparables), and when the sector's supply increase is limited. Conversely, reselling in the year of delivery, against the developer and with 19 % more supply on the market, is expensive. If you must sell quickly to buy, see selling with a tenant if the unit is rented, and our guides on timing.

How we sell a recent condo

Comparables from the building and neighbouring projects (not the city median), photos that show what new cannot (a lived-in, furnished unit with its storage), marketing aimed at buyers who do not want to wait for a delivery, and a reading of every offer. Our active listings are on buying a condo in Brossard and properties for sale on the South Shore.

Frequently asked questions

Can my buyer recover the GST on my resold condo?

No. The first-time home buyer GST rebate targets new or substantially renovated homes bought from a builder. A resale is a used property, with no GST and no rebate.

Can I resell my condo before delivery?

Only if the preliminary contract allows it. Many developers forbid it or require their consent and fees. Have the contract read before signing.

Does new gain value faster?

Not necessarily. Over five years, condos rose 29 % in the Brossard/Saint-Lambert sector and 48 % in Candiac/La Prairie (APCIQ, Q2 2026), but those increases apply to the whole stock, not only to new units. New carries a premium at purchase that resale does not always recover.

Also available in French: version française de ce guide.

Published September 1, 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.