The Kamloops Spring Market Is Coming Into Focus. Here's What to Expect.
January was quiet. Not the kind of quiet that signals trouble, just the usual post-holiday stillness that settles over real estate markets every year before the spring momentum builds. Now, with March approaching, the Thompson-Okanagan is starting to stir.
The early signals for spring 2026 are cautiously optimistic, and for good reason.
Where Prices Finished the Year
The benchmark price for a single-family home in Kamloops closed 2025 at $655,700, a 2.2% gain year-over-year. Modest, but steady. Condos and apartments told a more striking story, climbing 7.3% to $375,800 and signaling genuine demand in the attached housing segment. Townhomes pulled back slightly, settling at $503,300.
No dramatic swings. No collapse, no spike. What the numbers reflect is a market finding its footing after several years of volatility, and buyers and sellers adjusting to a new kind of normal.
The Inventory Picture (And Why It Matters Right Now)
Heading into spring, available listings remain lean. That gives sellers a genuine, if temporary, advantage. When fewer properties compete for the same pool of buyers, well-priced homes move faster and attract stronger offers.
That window won't stay open indefinitely.
Expect new listings to arrive in volume through March and April, which will gradually restore balance between supply and demand. Sellers who list before that wave hits are positioning themselves ahead of the competition rather than alongside it. The difference in outcome can be significant.
Rate Cuts Changed the Math for Buyers
Through the back half of 2025, the Bank of Canada delivered a sequence of rate reductions that materially improved borrowing conditions across the country. Kamloops buyers felt it. Monthly carrying costs dropped, qualification thresholds shifted, and a segment of buyers who had been sitting on the sidelines reconsidered their options.
First-time buyers. Move-up buyers. People who ran the numbers a year ago and walked away are running them again.
Pre-approval has always mattered in a competitive spring market. This year, with renewed buyer confidence expected to collide with constrained inventory in March, having financing confirmed in advance isn't just prudent, it's a real tactical edge. Sellers notice clean, pre-approved offers. They negotiate differently when they see one.
Neighbourhoods Worth Watching
Juniper Ridge, Sahali, and Aberdeen remain the top draws for families, offering a combination of school access, lot sizes, and established community character that continues to command strong interest.
Sun Rivers and Tobiano attract a different profile entirely. Lifestyle buyers, retirees, and investors drawn to the golf course communities and the recreational texture of the surrounding landscape. Demand in these pockets has proven resilient.
Downtown Kamloops continues to see consistent condo activity, particularly in the sub-$400,000 range. For first-time buyers looking to enter the market without overextending, that segment offers real opportunity, especially with attached home prices rising the way they did through 2025.
The Case for Acting Before April
Spring real estate doesn't arrive all at once. It builds. The buyers who secure financing in February, the sellers who list before the broader inventory surge, and the people who get clear on their strategy now rather than in April are the ones who tend to come out ahead.
The market rewards preparation more than timing. You can't perfectly predict the week demand peaks. You can control how ready you are when it does.