When Canada's largest bank revises its housing forecast, buyers and sellers should pay attention, and the latest RBC analysis carries a clear message for anyone active in the Markham market this fall. RBC's report noted that inventories have shown signs of stabilization in recent months, particularly in Ontario and BC, where active listings reached levels not seen in decades.
Michael John Lau, top real estate agent in Markham Ontario, breaks down what the RBC forecast means for your fall real estate decisions.
What RBC Is Forecasting
RBC's housing market analysis identifies Ontario as a market working through a period of elevated inventory and price adjustment. RBC anticipates prices will decline in the latter half of 2025 and into 2026, with Ontario and BC experiencing the steepest drops due to high inventory levels and strong competition among sellers.
At the same time, RBC sees the foundations of recovery forming. Home sales have been gaining traction, with the Greater Toronto Area a key driver. Transactions surged 35.5% over one recent stretch as buyers re-entered the market. RBC projects a rebound in home resales, though the recovery will be uneven and tempered by a fragile labour market, reduced immigration targets, and affordability challenges.
The Nuanced Picture
The picture RBC paints for Ontario is nuanced. Prices still adjusting downward through the current period due to high inventory, but sales volumes recovering as buyers return to the market. This is the profile of a market finding its footing. The transition from correction to recovery.
What This Means for Markham Buyers
The RBC forecast has specific implications for Markham buyers heading into the fall market.
Buyer Advantage Persists
RBC's identification of elevated Ontario inventory confirms buyer-favourable conditions in Markham persist through the fall. Abundant choice, negotiating leverage, ability to include conditions.
Prices Remain Favourable
Continued modest price adjustment through the current period means fall buyers enter at favourable pricing. But the floor is forming. The window is not permanent.
Sales Momentum Signals Recovery
The 35.5% GTA sales surge that RBC highlights is the leading edge of recovery. Buyers who wait for prices to visibly rise will enter after recovery is underway.
The Overlap Window
The current period combines favourable prices, abundant inventory, forming recovery, and the seasonal strength of fall. This overlap is a genuinely advantageous window.
Neeraj Moolchandani on The Fall 2026 Buyer Window in Markham
Neeraj Moolchandani, REALTOR® at Kaizen Real Estate, works alongside Markham buyers navigating exactly the situation this article describes. His specialty is translating complex market dynamics into a clear plan of action, whether that involves timing, negotiation strategy, or protecting long-term family wealth.
When Neeraj advises clients on the fall 2026 buyer window in markham, the conversation always starts with what matters most to the family, not what the market is doing this week. That is the difference between transactional advice and the kind of counsel Markham buyers return to for a decade.
The Price Floor Is Forming
RBC's forecast confirms the two things that matter most for fall buyers. Prices continue adjusting favourably in the near term, and the recovery is forming. These two conditions are not permanent partners. As sales momentum builds, the pricing advantage compresses. Buyers who wait for the recovery to become obvious in prices are waiting past the window they wanted to catch.
The RBC data suggests the smart timing is to buy during the current overlap of favourable prices and forming recovery, rather than waiting for the recovery to become obvious in prices. This is the counterintuitive discipline that distinguishes sophisticated buyers from reactive ones.
The Fall Market Opportunity
The fall market has historically been one of the two strongest selling seasons in the GTA, alongside spring. Post-Labour Day, buyer activity typically surges as families settle after summer, new inventory comes to market, and the sense of a fresh season drives decisions. CREA has explicitly noted that the stage is set for a busier fall market, with the return of certainty around both interest rates and home values bringing more buyers into the market.
For Markham buyers, the fall of 2026 presents a specific opportunity. The RBC forecast confirms elevated inventory and favourable pricing persisting through the fall, while the sales recovery indicates the correction is transitioning toward recovery. This overlap, favourable prices, abundant inventory, forming recovery, and the seasonal strength of the fall market, is a genuinely advantageous window for buyers who are ready to act.
Navigate the Fall Market With Data
The RBC forecast, the Markham inventory, the forming recovery. All point to a specific window. Book a private consultation with the Kaizen Real Estate Team.
Timing Decisions Around the Forecast
The buyers who understand the RBC forecast recognize that the fall of 2026 is not a time to wait on the sidelines hoping for further declines. It is a time to act on the favourable conditions that RBC confirms are present now, before the recovery that RBC and others see forming reduces the buyer's advantage.
Michael John Lau, top real estate agent in Markham Ontario, helps buyers interpret the forecasts from RBC, CREA, CMHC, and other authorities. Translating national and provincial analysis into specific guidance for the Markham market and your fall real estate decisions.