The Short Answer
Should I sell my Markham home before or after an election? Elections can create short-term uncertainty that temporarily slows buyer activity, but they rarely change the fundamentals that determine your sale — your home, your pricing, and current market conditions. For most sellers, the right timing is driven by personal circumstances and the state of the market, not by an election date. Trying to time an election is far less important than pricing and preparing your home well.
Whenever a federal election approaches, some Markham sellers wonder whether they should rush to list beforehand or wait until the results are in. It's a reasonable question — but the answer is usually less dramatic than people expect. Michael John Lau, a top real estate agent in Markham, offers a measured, non-partisan look at election timing.
A note on scope. This is a general, non-partisan discussion of how elections can affect real estate timing — not political commentary and not a prediction about any specific election or its outcome. Markham buyers and sellers span every political view, and the goal here is simply to help you think clearly about timing.
Why Elections Can Affect the Market — Temporarily
Elections introduce a period of uncertainty, and markets — including real estate — generally dislike uncertainty. In the lead-up to a vote, some buyers and sellers adopt a "wait and see" posture, pausing major decisions until they know the outcome and what it might mean for the economy, interest rates, taxes, or housing policy. This can create a temporary, modest slowdown in activity around an election.
The key words are temporary and modest. Historically, election-related slowdowns in housing tend to be short-lived — activity that pauses before a vote typically resumes afterward once the uncertainty resolves. Life events that drive real estate decisions — job changes, growing families, downsizing, relocations — don't stop for elections, so demand generally returns.
The Case for Listing Before
Getting ahead of the "wait and see" pause
If a slowdown in buyer activity typically develops as an election approaches, listing well before that period can mean reaching buyers while they're still active and decisions aren't yet on hold.
Motivated buyers are still buying
Serious buyers with real needs — a firm timeline, a growing family, a relocation — keep buying regardless of the political calendar. Listing before an election still reaches this motivated core.
Avoiding a crowded post-election market
If some sellers hold off until after the vote, the post-election period can see a wave of new listings arrive at once — more competition. Listing earlier can mean less competition for buyer attention.
The Case for Waiting Until After
Reduced uncertainty
Once results are known, the uncertainty that made some buyers hesitate resolves. Buyers who were waiting on the sidelines may re-enter with more confidence, and clarity about the economic and policy direction can restore momentum.
Returning buyer confidence
The "wait and see" buyers become active buyers again after the vote. For some sellers, listing into that renewed activity — rather than into pre-election hesitation — can be advantageous.
A settled backdrop
Selling against a settled political backdrop, rather than an uncertain one, can simply feel — and be — more straightforward for everyone involved.
Neeraj Moolchandani on Timing Around External Events
Neeraj Moolchandani, REALTOR® at Kaizen Real Estate, has watched sellers delay for elections, rate announcements, budget days, and holiday weekends, and the pattern is consistent. Each delay is individually reasonable and collectively costly, because there is always a next event to wait for. A seller who postpones through three of them has lost a season, which matters far more than any single event ever did.
The distinction Neeraj draws is between events that change buyer capacity and events that change buyer mood. A rate decision alters what people can borrow, which is real. An election generally alters sentiment for a few weeks and then resolves. He advises sellers to weigh the first category seriously and to treat the second as a scheduling detail rather than a strategic one.
What Actually Matters More Than the Election
Here's the perspective that matters most: for the vast majority of sellers, election timing is a minor factor compared to the things that genuinely determine your sale. Those are:
1. Correct pricing
Pricing to current market conditions is the single biggest driver of a successful sale — far more impactful than the political calendar.
2. Preparation and presentation
A well-prepared, well-staged, well-marketed home sells well in almost any environment.
3. Current market conditions
The overall state of the market — supply, demand, interest rates — matters far more than an election date.
4. Your personal circumstances
Your own timeline, needs, and life situation should drive your decision more than any political event. The best time to sell is usually when it's right for you.
What About the U.S. Election Cycle?
Markham sellers sometimes ask about U.S. elections too, given how interconnected the economies are. A U.S. presidential cycle can influence broader economic sentiment and financial markets, which can indirectly touch interest rates and confidence in Canada. But the same principle applies: it's a background factor, not a reason to override sound pricing, preparation, and your personal timeline. Focus on what you can control.
Time the Sale to Your Life, Not the Calendar
Preparation and pricing outweigh nearly every external event. Book a private consultation with the Kaizen Real Estate Team.
The Bottom Line
Should you list before or after an election? For most Markham sellers, the honest answer is that it matters far less than getting the fundamentals right. There are reasonable arguments both ways, and the modest, temporary effect of an election is usually outweighed by pricing, preparation, market conditions, and your own circumstances. Rather than trying to time a vote, focus on selling your home well — and choose the timing that fits your life.
Michael John Lau, one of Markham's leading REALTORS® and a CPA/CMA, helps sellers cut through the noise — including election-timing worries — to focus on what actually drives a successful sale: right pricing, strong preparation, and a strategy built around your situation and current conditions. Let's talk about the timing that makes sense for you.