Hamilton-Burlington Area Home Sales Marked by Weakened Demand in 2025

Hamilton, ON (January 6, 2026) —  In December, home sales reported through the MLS® System of the Cornerstone Association of REALTORS® (Cornerstone) slowed across Hamilton, Burlington, Haldimand County, and Niagara North. This led to a 12 per cent drop for the year. There were 8,996 sales in total across the region, making it the slowest year since 2010 and more than 30 per cent below long-term averages.

“At the end of 2025, fewer new listings came online, and with more homes staying on the market because of slower sales, buyers had more options,” says Nicolas von Bredow, Cornerstone spokesperson for the Hamilton-Burlington market area. “2025 was a year marked by global uncertainty, which affected the Canadian economy and our local real estate market, with fewer buyers entering the market due to concerns about job security and higher interest rates.”

“With 2025 behind us, we are hopeful for more balanced market conditions to emerge in 2026 with lower interest rates than at the start of last year and new government incentives available. Both the provincial and federal governments have announced they will remove HST on new homes up to $1 million for first-time buyers. While this should make homes more affordable and help the economy by supporting the labour market, we are calling on both levels of government to expand this initiative to all home buyers for a much greater impact,” says von Bredow.

Market conditions in 2025 weighed on home prices, which reported an annual decline of five per cent. Prices declined across all property types, with slightly larger declines occurring for row and apartment-style homes.

Benchmark prices also declined across all areas within the region, with the largest declines occurring in Burlington at over six per cent, and the smallest declines occurring in Haldimand County at under four per cent.

The statistics provided in this report are based on information from the ITSO MLS® System. Multiple MLS®Systems operate within Ontario, and while none can beguaranteed to include every property listed or sold within a given area, they effectively illustrate market trends.