Buyers vs. Sellers Market—What is the Difference?

There are many factors which affect the real estate market–interest rates, employment, investment growth, legislative changes and new construction, to name a few. All of these factors influence the real estate market in some way.

In a buyer’s market, there are more homes for sale than there are buyers. This could be a result of high unemployment, fear of interest rate increases or other factors which make people think twice about purchasing a home for the first time or moving up into a larger home. The advantage buyers have in a buyers’ market is that they can typically take their time and look at all of their options before buying. Overall, home prices may go down in a buyer’s market.

In a seller’s market, there are fewer homes for sale to a larger pool of buyers. The factors at work could be sustained low interest rates, high employment rate, legislative changes which make it easier to purchase a property–events and conditions that make buyers think it would be a good time to buy a big ticket item like a home.

The advantage goes to the seller in a seller’s market–typically home prices will rise as buyers are quick to make an offer to secure the property.

How Your Property Taxes are Assessed

In Alberta, residential and most commercial property is assessed on the basis of a property’s market value. Market value is defined as the price a property might reasonably sell for after adequate time and exposure to an open market when sold by a willing seller to a willing buyer.

Provincial regulation directs that property assessments must reflect typical market conditions as of July 1 in the previous year.

To calculate your assessment, assessors look at property characteristics such as the size, type, and age of your property, as well as its location, style, condition, upgrades, and lot size. The selling prices of similar properties in the same neighbourhood or similar areas are also considered.