Sarnia-Lambton Association of REALTORS®

Sarnia-Lambton MLS® home sales soften marginally in September; buyers continue to benefit from greater choice

The number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Sarnia-Lambton Association of REALTORS® totaled 128 units in September 2026. This was a large decline of 11.7% from September 2025.

Home sales were 0.2% below the five-year average and 11.5% below the 10-year average for the month of September.

On a year-to-date basis, home sales totaled 1,134 units over the first nine months of the year. This decreased by 8.9% from the same period in 2025.

“September brought a relatively steady market, with sales holding close to recent norms even as activity remained below last year’s pace. New listings increased from August and overall inventory continued to build, giving buyers more choice than typical for this time of year,” said Jeremy Guerette, President of the Sarnia-Lambton Association of REALTORS®. “Prices are largely unchanged from the previous month, while market balance continues to lean in buyers’ favour. In this kind of market, local knowledge matters. Buyers have more room to compare and negotiate, while sellers need to be strategic on pricing and presentations. A REALTOR® can help clients understand what is happening in their neighbourhood and make decisions with greater confidence.”

The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) tracks price trends far more accurately than is possible using average or median price measures. The overall MLS® HPI composite/single-family benchmark price was $488,800 in September 2026, a small reduction of 3.4% compared to September 2025.

The average price of homes sold in September 2026 was $480,080, a decline of 5.1% from September 2025.

The more comprehensive year-to-date average price was $523,286, down modestly by 2.2% from the first nine months of 2025.

The dollar value of all home sales in September 2026 was $61.5 million, a substantial decrease of 16.2% from the same month in 2025.

The number of new listings saw a moderate decrease of 4.5% from September 2025. There were 338 new residential listings in September 2026.

New listings were 9.7% above the five-year average and 32.3% above the 10-year average for the month of September.

Active residential listings numbered 722 units on the market at the end of September, increasing by 10.4% from the end of September 2025. Active listings haven’t been this high in the month of September in 15 years.

Active listings were 24.2% above the five-year average and 76.1% above the 10-year average for the month of September.

Months of inventory numbered 5.6 at the end of September 2026, up from the 4.5 months recorded at the end of September 2025 and above the long-run average of 3 months for this time of year. The number of months of inventory is the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity.

BOARD & ASSOCIATION INFORMATION

The Sarnia-Lambton Association of REALTORS®, established in 1944, is a non-profit organization. The County of Lambton, of which Sarnia is the principal city, is bounded on the North and West by the crystal blue waters of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River. The REALTOR® and MLS® trademarks are owned or controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA (REALTOR®) and/or the quality of services they provide (MLS®).