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If you've been watching the "For Sale" signs go up around Woodstock, Ingersoll, and Tillsonburg this year, you're not imagining it — there's more inventory out there than we've seen in a long time. But more listings doesn't automatically mean a buyer's market, and it definitely doesn't mean sellers should panic. Here are some insights on what the numbers actually say heading into fall.
The Short Version
Oxford County's housing market spent the summer settling into something we haven't felt in a while: balance. Not a frenzy, not a freeze — just a market where both buyers and sellers have real leverage, depending on how they play it.
What Sold in August
141 homes changed hands across the Woodstock, Ingersoll, and Tillsonburg area in August — a small uptick from the same month last year, and still running above the five-year seasonal average. Year-to-date, we're sitting at 1,152 sales through the first eight months of 2026, up close to 3% from last year's pace.
So no, the market isn't cooling off in any dramatic way. It's just... normal. After the last few years, that is worth noting!
Prices Have Softened — Modestly
The benchmark price across all housing types landed at roughly $576,800 in August, down about 4% from a year ago. Single-family homes came in around $593,400, also off modestly year-over-year, while townhomes held closer to $383,500.
The average sale price actually ticked up slightly to just under $630,000 — a reminder that "average" and "benchmark" tell slightly different stories depending on what mix of homes sold that month. If you're pricing a home or sizing up a purchase, this is exactly the kind of nuance worth walking through with someone who watches these numbers closely.
Inventory Is Doing the Heavy Lifting
This is really the story of the year: supply. New listings in August came in well above the historical norm for this time of year, and active listings on the market were up significantly compared to both the five- and ten-year averages. Homes are sitting for around 5.3 months' worth of inventory — meaningfully higher than the long-run norm for late summer.
Translation: buyers have room to be selective again. Sellers, meanwhile, need to price and present with more intention than they might have needed to two or three years ago.
What About Mortgage Rates?
The other piece of this puzzle: borrowing costs have been steady for a while now. The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25% on September 2 — the seventh consecutive hold — keeping the prime rate at 4.45%. That's good news for anyone who was bracing for another squeeze.
The bigger shift is in expectations. For the past couple of years, the conversation was all about when rates would come down further. That conversation has quietly flipped — most economists now expect rates to hold steady through the rest of 2026, with a few forecasting modest increases in 2027 rather than more cuts. Fixed rates have crept up slightly alongside bond yields, but there's still a real range out there depending on your lender and situation.
The practical takeaway: rates aren't about to hand buyers a shortcut, and they're not about to spook the market either. Combined with the extra inventory we're seeing locally, it's a genuinely reasonable time to get pre-approved and shop with confidence — just don't wait around for a rate drop that may not be coming.
What This Means Heading Into Fall
If you're buying: This is a market that rewards patience. You're less likely to get steamrolled in a bidding war, and you have more room to negotiate on conditions, closing dates, and price. That said, well-priced, well-presented homes are still moving quickly — don't mistake "balanced market" for "no urgency at all."
If you're selling: Pricing accurately matters more than it has in years. With this much inventory for buyers to compare against, homes that are priced to the current market — not to what the neighbour got in 2022 — are the ones generating real interest. Presentation and a solid marketing plan matter more, too, when buyers have options.
If you're just watching: Oxford County remains a genuinely stable, livable market. We're not seeing the wild swings some other regions have experienced — just a steady return to something more sustainable for everyone.
Curious what this means for your specific street, neighbourhood, or situation? I'm always happy to talk through the numbers over coffee — real conversation, not a form letter. Reach out any time.
Data source: Woodstock Ingersoll Tillsonburg & Area Association of REALTORS®, August 2026 statistics via the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).
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