Buyers hold the power as B.C. developers deepen incentives to boost sales
Developers in British Columbia are offering steep discounts as new inventory keeps stacking up, fuelling competition for buyers who can afford to shop around.
In Kelowna, Mission Group had a one-day flash sale on Saturday on all vacant inventory at its Alma on Abbott development, a boutique lakefront community located in Pandosy Village that was completed in October.
Mission Group president Luke Turri said half of Alma’s 87 units – ranging from studios to three-bedrooms – need to be sold. With the discount, one- and two-bedroom units will be roughly $425,000 to $505,000.
“We realize that we have to meet the market where it’s at,” said Turri, who’s been in the field for 20 years.
He said today’s buyers are highly informed and cautious.
“Buyers are seeing price corrections, incentive programs, construction delays, interest rates swinging, and they need certainty, they need credibility, and so for us the focus is, how do we create that momentum?”
Turri said Alma had a successful pre-sale launch, and Mission Group had always anticipated having available inventory after completion due to its target audience of end users, rather than investors.
In its latest monthly report, the Association of Interior Realtors said the market maintained a “gradual and steady pace” in October.
Still, inventory levels are elevated compared to historical norms. Interior Realtors reported 8,938 active listings at the end of last month, comparable to fall 2024 levels, but well above the 10-year average.
