It seems the pandemic is not slowing house sales in Steinbach. That is from Peter Squire, Market Analyst with Multiple Listing Service.

When you crunch the numbers, Steinbach had 268 sales from 440 listings from January 1st to June 30th of this year. By comparison, last year there were 213 sales from 419 listings during that same period.

Squire says in June they performed a survey across Manitoba. Out of more than one thousand Manitobans to respond, nearly nine out of ten people said COVID-19 had no impact on their decision to buy a home.

The average selling price is also trending higher. Through the first six months in 2019 it was $278,000. Through the first six months of 2020, it climbed to $293,000.

According to Squire, the highest price fetched for a home in Steinbach so far this year has been $732,800.

Meanwhile, Squire says it is a different story when you look at condominium sales. Through the first six months of this year, there were 21 sales from 44 listings. During the same period a year ago, there were 23 sales from 58 listings. The average selling price last year was nearly $207,000, compared to $192,000 through the first six months of 2020.

"So clearly the pandemic did impact condo sales in Steinbach like it did across the entire Winnipeg Realtors market region," says Squire.

He suggests that could be because people are a little less comfortable entering a common living area during a pandemic, than they are to walk into a single family home.

Squire says he thinks some of the upper end condos will now come on to the market, noting people were reluctant and holding back in spring. But he says he would not be surprised if some owners wait until next year, as they have now missed the spring market.