Ottawa, ON, March 17, 2014 – The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has updated its forecast for home sales activity via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of Canadian real estate Boards and Associations in 2014, and extended the outlook to 2015.

National resale housing activity has started 2014 at lower levels, compared to previous years. This in part reflects payback for stronger levels of activity recorded last summer and fall when buyers with pre-approved mortgage financing advanced home purchases before their lower pre-approved rates expired. It also likely reflects the deferral of some activity due to what has been an exceptionally tough winter in many parts of the country.

Taking this into consideration, and with mortgage rates having edged lower, home sales are expected to trend higher heading into the spring, and be further supported over the second half of 2014 by a widely anticipated pick-up in Canadian economic growth.