December 2025
December closed out what was quietly one of the most consequential years in Hamilton’s real estate market since before the pandemic. Sales volumes hit their lowest point since 2010, prices continued their correction from the 2022 peak, and homes sat on the market longer than at any point in recent memory. For anyone buying or selling in Hamilton heading into 2026, the December numbers tell an important story — and the neighbourhood-level data tells an even more specific one.
Here is a straight read of what happened, what it means by property type, and what buyers and sellers should take away going into the new year.
December 2025 at a Glance — The Key Numbers
Hamilton recorded 285 residential sales in December 2025, an 18.1% decline from December 2024. New listings came in at 368, down 5.2% year over year, while total inventory sat at 1,611 active listings — up 13.7% from the same month last year.
The average residential sale price in December was $663,558, down 14% from December 2024. The median sale price was $630,000, down 12.5%. Homes sat on the market for an average of 54.2 days — an 11% improvement from the prior month but still reflecting a market where buyers are taking their time.
The sales-to-new-listings ratio came in at 77%, and months of supply reached 5.65 — well above the 4-month threshold that typically signals a balanced market and firmly in buyer’s market territory.
The Full Year — 2025 in Summary
Zooming out to the full year, 2025 produced 5,615 total residential sales in Hamilton — the lowest annual total since 2010 and more than 30% below typical market levels. New listings increased 6.1% year over year to 13,445, keeping inventory elevated throughout the year and maintaining months of supply above five months since September.
The annual average benchmark price for 2025 was $718,708, down 5% from 2024. While prices remain above pre-pandemic levels, they have now returned to approximately 2021 values — erasing the gains of the 2021-2022 run-up across most property categories. The average days on market for the full year was 39.1 days, up 16.6% from 2024, and months of supply averaged 4.63 — up 37.8% year over year.
In plain terms: there was more supply, less demand, and buyers had more time and more leverage than at any point since before the pandemic surge.
How Different Property Types Performed in 2025
The correction was not uniform across property categories, and the differences matter depending on what you are buying or selling.
Detached homes held up best relative to other categories. The annual benchmark price for detached homes came in at $752,100, down 7% year over year. With 3,893 sales in 2025 — a 3.6% decline — detached homes remained the most active segment of the market and showed the most resilience in pricing. Average days on market for detached homes was 36.1 days annually.
Semi-detached homes saw a benchmark price of $670,300, down 6% year over year, with 245 sales annually — a decline of 8.6%. Row homes (townhomes) came in at a benchmark of $581,100, also down 7%, with 984 sales — the steepest volume decline of the four main categories at 20.3%.
Apartments took the hardest hit. The benchmark price for apartment-style condos finished 2025 at $386,400 — down 13% year over year. Annual sales of 475 represented a 20.8% decline, and average days on market stretched to 61.2 days. The condo segment continued to face headwinds from elevated inventory, reduced investor activity, and softened rental demand, particularly in Hamilton’s downtown core.
What the Numbers Look Like by Neighbourhood
This is where the data gets genuinely useful for anyone making a decision about a specific area. Hamilton’s market is not one number — it is a collection of distinct neighbourhoods with meaningfully different price levels and trajectories.
At the top end, Flamborough averaged $1,090,773 in December — down 8.5% year over year but holding above the $1 million mark. Ancaster averaged $1,002,915 in December, down 13.6%, with a full-year average of $1,141,049. Waterdown came in at $904,333 for December, essentially flat year over year.
In the mid-range, Hamilton Mountain averaged $653,327 in December — down 8.3% — with a full-year average of $707,059. Stoney Creek averaged $702,419 for December, down 10.9%, and $807,347 for the full year. Glanbrook finished December at $761,877, down just 3.5% — one of the more resilient areas in the city.
At the entry-level end, Hamilton Centre averaged $449,553 in December — down 17% — with a full-year average of $516,414. Hamilton East showed some relative strength, averaging $584,049 in December with a full-year average of $581,769. Hamilton West averaged $556,344 in December, down 23.7%, reflecting significant softness in some pockets of the west end.
Dundas is worth a specific note: the December average of $654,792 is down 29.7% from December 2024, but the full-year average of $980,176 — up 5.5% year over year — tells a very different story. December’s number reflects limited sales volume in a small market, not a fundamental shift in Dundas’s long-term value proposition.
Where Buyers Are Spending — Sales by Price Range
The December sales by price range data confirms where the active buyer demand is concentrated in Hamilton right now. The $600,000 to $799,999 bracket dominated December 2025 sales, accounting for the largest share of transactions — consistent with where detached and semi-detached inventory is concentrated across the Mountain, Stoney Creek, and parts of the East End.
The under $300,000 segment saw a meaningful uptick in 2025 relative to 2024, reflecting condo and apartment activity in Hamilton Centre. The $800,000 to $999,999 bracket remained active, representing buyers in Ancaster, Waterdown, and parts of Stoney Creek. Sales above $1 million were limited in December but consistent with prior years in Flamborough and Ancaster.
What This Means for Hamilton Buyers in 2026
For buyers, the December 2025 data reinforces what has been true for most of the past 18 months: conditions are more favourable than they have been since before the 2021 run-up. Prices are back to 2021 levels across most categories, inventory is elevated, and the average home is sitting on the market for over 50 days in December — meaning there is time to be thoughtful.
That said, the data varies significantly by neighbourhood and property type. A detached home in Ancaster or Waterdown is a very different market than a condo in Hamilton Centre. Knowing which areas genuinely represent value at current price levels — versus which ones are still correcting — requires looking at the street-level data, not just the city average.
If you are thinking about buying in Hamilton in 2026, start with a current MLS search to understand what your budget actually gets you across different areas right now.
What This Means for Hamilton Sellers in 2026
For sellers, the December numbers reinforce one consistent message from 2025: pricing accurately from day one is the single most important factor in a successful sale. With average days on market at 54.2 days in December and months of supply at 5.65, buyers have options and are not in a hurry. Homes that were overpriced relative to current comparable sales sat, accumulated days on market, and typically sold for less than they would have at a realistic price from the start.
The market is not broken. Well-priced, well-presented homes continued to sell throughout 2025. The sales-to-new-listings ratio of 77% in December — while below the 85%+ that signals a strong seller’s market — is not the collapse some headlines suggested. Demand is still there. It is just more selective and more patient than it was two years ago.
If you are thinking about selling in 2026, the right starting point is a current, accurate read on what comparable homes in your specific neighbourhood have actually sold for in the last 60 days — not 2024 prices, and certainly not 2022 prices. Frank’s free home evaluation gives you exactly that.
Looking Ahead — Hamilton Real Estate in Early 2026
The Bank of Canada’s rate adjustments in late 2024 and early 2025 provided some relief to buyers on the financing side, and there are early signs that buyer confidence is beginning to return in select segments. Whether that translates into meaningful volume recovery in the first half of 2026 will depend on how inventory responds, whether sellers adjust price expectations to match current market realities, and how broader economic conditions evolve.
What is clear heading into 2026 is that local knowledge and accurate pricing matter more than ever. Hamilton is a city of distinct markets — Ancaster and Flamborough at the top end, the East End and Centre offering entry-level opportunities, and everything in between moving at different speeds and to different buyer profiles.
Frank Lombardo covers Hamilton, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Burlington, and the surrounding area. If you have questions about what these numbers mean for your specific neighbourhood or property, reach out directly.
Call or text: 905-730-2747