Buyer's or Seller's Market?

Buyer's or Seller's Market? Depends on where you are.

Some of you may not know but Remax a-b Realty has offices in Stratford, Woodstock and St. Marys. It is interesting to compare each market place to see how they compare and the differences between them. Today I'll look at Woodstock (my home town) and Stratford and look at the differences between these cities.

Woodstock is slightly bigger than Stratford by about 5,000 people and is located on Hiway 401. I'm sure you know that they are home to the new Toyota plant. According to the local real estate board there are 486 properties for sale in Woodstock. The highest priced listing is at $699,000, and only three properties that exceed $600,000. At the other end of the market they have 52 homes listed at under $150,000 and 12 under $100,000.

Compare that to Stratford. Our current number of listing is 160 homes, with the highest listed at $1,599,000 and one at $1,390,000. We also have just 6 under $150,000 and 1 under $100,000. Stratford actually needs to have more homes listed as this shortage is driving prices up.

After looking at this comparison it would be easy to say that Woodstock is a buyers market. There are way more houses for sale than buyers. Stratford on the other hand is a Sellers market (although not a really strong sellers market).What does this mean to you if you live in either market? For Stratford sellers now is a good time to list. With little competition a good house will command top dollar. For buyers, be prepared to move quickly when you find the home of your dreams, but don't buy in panic, our market is not moving that quickly.

If you live in Woodstock as a seller you will have to make sure your home is ready to be sold. Talk to realtor and take their advice on prepping your home for sale. For Buyers you have the luxury of great selection and time to shop. But remember really good houses do move quickly so stay on top of the local market.


Jamie Woodend, Sales Representative
Remax a-b Realty Ltd Brokerage
88 Wellington Street
Stratford, Ontario, N5A 2L2
519-273-2821 ext 229 Office
519-949-0345 Cell