Chapter 14 · Sell
Market and news: September 2026
The latest regional numbers, what they mean for West Kelowna buyers and sellers, and the local decisions that affect property, each dated and linked to its source. Updated September 2026.
Snapshot · August 2026 · Central Okanagan
The numbers
The Association of Interior REALTORS® (AIR) reports the Central Okanagan as one region (Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland, WFN lands and rural areas). It doesn't publish a West Kelowna-only figure, so neither do we.
- $1,056,700single-family benchmark (excludes lakefront and acreage)
- $698,600townhouse benchmark, down 3.3% year over year
- $465,700condo benchmark, down 5.5% year over year
- 327total residential sales, down 9.4% year over year
Source: AIR market statistics dashboard (published September 1, 2026) and the August 2026 media release.
August 2026 in detail
| Central Okanagan | Single-family* | Townhouse | Condo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 142 | 42 | 96 |
| Change vs Aug 2025 | −9.6% | −10.6% | −5.0% |
| Benchmark price | $1,056,700 | $698,600 | $465,700 |
| Days to sell | 60 | 64 | 79 |
| Inventory | 1,219 | 420 | 785 |
| New listings | 296 | 127 | 194 |
A note on the single-family trend. The dashboard shows the benchmark down 2.0% on a year earlier and down 1.5% from July, while AIR's media-release infographic prints the change as 0.2%. The fairest summary is roughly flat to slightly down.
Averages and medians
| August 2026 | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family* | $1,049,811 | $925,166 |
| Single-family lakefront | $2,845,083 | $2,112,750 |
| Townhouse | $678,186 | $615,000 |
| Apartment | $475,971 | $413,500 |
| All residential | $808,977 | $685,000 |
Across all property types, the list-to-sale price ratio was 96.05% and homes took 78 days to sell. Year to date, the Central Okanagan recorded 3,131 sales (down 1.73%) worth $2.594 billion. Region-wide, active listings were 2,925 (down 12.5%) and new listings 712 (down 17.0%). In July the single-family benchmark was $1,072,400, with 205 sales and 53 days to sell.
What it means
For buyers: fewer sales and longer selling times than a year ago give you more room to negotiate and to do proper due diligence on water, leases and insurance. Inventory is lower than last year, though, so the best-priced homes in the popular family areas still move.
For sellers: pricing matters more than it did. At around 96% of list price on average, buyers are negotiating, and a home that sits past the typical 60 days starts to look stale. August's wildfires around the valley weighed on activity; AIR's own site headlined coverage of the Okanagan taking a bigger hit than other Interior markets.
A regional benchmark is a weather report, not a price tag. Your street, your view and your title type set the number.
Reading market stats
Local news that affects property
West Kelowna news, 2026
Newest first. Each item links to its source.
Six-storey mixed-use building approved on Churchill Road
Council approved zoning for a six-storey mixed-use development in Westbank Centre, plus an updated traffic-calming policy and a flood-mitigation design contract.
Stephen Johnston acclaimed as mayor
Johnston was declared mayor by acclamation for 2026 to 2030 and takes office on November 3. Six councillors will be elected October 17, with advance voting October 7, 13 and 15.
Wildfire funding, health care and seniors top City's UBCM priorities
Council lobbied provincial ministers on wildfire mitigation funding, seniors' housing and health services, and redundant electrical power.
BC budgets $15 million for FireSmart projects in 2027
Up from $9.3 million shared by 47 communities in 2026.
$1.2 million affordable housing grant pilot approved
Restricted to the Westbank and Boucherie urban centres. The $4.8 million Mount Boucherie Community Centre restoration also reached substantial completion.
YMCA to operate the Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre
The YMCA of Southern Interior BC takes over operations on January 1, 2027.
Royal LePage Place opens as group lodging for wildfire evacuees
150 beds, expandable to 256, operated by Samaritan's Purse, during a month of fires around the valley.
West Kelowna joins the federal Housing Design Catalogue
One of 30 CMHC Local Partners, with five pre-reviewed home designs to speed up approvals for small-scale housing.
Stage 3 watering restrictions in effect
Lawn watering is limited to one day a week: even-numbered addresses on Saturday, odd on Sunday.
Council praises Kalamoir Park wildfire response; infill zoning advances
Earlier mitigation work was credited with limiting the fire's spread. Infill housing zoning amendments received third reading.
West Kelowna on BC's list of STR principal-residence exemptions
The provincial requirement no longer applies here, but the City's own bylaw still ties short-term rentals to a principal residence outside resort zones. See the buying guide.
Updated September 2026. This page summarizes public announcements and isn't affiliated with the City of West Kelowna.
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