Fort McMurray housing market: September 2026

What happened in September

Sales slowed for a second month after the summer peak. 102 homes changed hands, down 12.1% from August, and this time the year-over-year comparison slipped too: sales were 7.3% below September 2025, after running ahead of last year in August.

Supply barely moved. New listings came in at 146, up 5% from August but 11.5% lower than a year ago, and active inventory held at 316 homes, essentially flat on the month and down 22.9% year over year. Months of supply rose to 3.1 from 2.72, mostly because fewer homes sold rather than because listings piled up, and 70% of new listings found a buyer. That is a cooler month than the summer, but inventory is still well below where it was a year ago.

About that 13% price drop

The average sale price was $347,335, down 13.1% from August. Last month the average jumped 12% and we said it wasn't values climbing. This month it fell 13% and it isn't values dropping. Compared with September 2025 the average is down just 0.1%.

AREA reports an average for Fort McMurray, not a benchmark or a median, so on roughly 100 sales a month the number moves with whatever happens to sell. In September apartment-condo sales rose 43.8% to 23, while detached sales fell 27.5% to 58. Detached homes made up 57% of sales, down from about 69% in August, so more lower-priced units were in the mix and the average fell. The detached average itself was $457,077, down 4% on the month and 1.3% on the year, which is a small move on 58 sales. Watch sales, inventory and months of supply to read this market, not the monthly average.

Where the action was, by property type

Detached homes still made up most of the market: 58 sales, down 10.8% from last September, with 224 homes in inventory, 20.6% fewer than a year ago. Months of supply for detached rose to 3.86 and 67% of new detached listings sold, so detached buyers have a bit more room to negotiate than they did in midsummer.

The entry level was the busiest corner. Apartment condos had 23 sales, up 43.8% from August, while condo inventory fell to just 36 units, down 45.5% year over year. That is 1.57 months of supply, and more condos sold than were newly listed. Row and townhouse sales came in at 17, level with last September, with 2.18 months of supply. With 17 or 23 sales in a segment, a monthly average price says more about which specific units sold than about the segment itself.

What this means if you're buying in Fort McMurray

The fall slowdown gives buyers a little more breathing room, especially in detached homes, where there are close to four months of supply. Inventory is still more than a fifth lower than a year ago, though, and condos are moving quickly with very little on the market. A real pre-approval with a firm number lets you act on the right condo the week it lists, and lets you negotiate with confidence on a detached home that has been sitting.

Because so much Fort McMurray income is variable, how a lender reads your pay matters as much as the price. Overtime, shift premiums and bonuses can be used, but generally only with about a two-year history, and they're averaged. Lenders differ on how much of it they'll count. Getting your income assessed properly before you're negotiating, rather than after, is usually what separates a firm approval from a maybe.