Hamilton-Burlington in July 2026
The MLS® HPI composite benchmark price across the region was $729,800 in July 2026 — down 1.0% from June and 4.9% below July 2025. Sales activity fell 11.8% month-over-month and 11.0% year-over-year, while new listings dropped more sharply still, down 17.2% from June and 17.6% from a year earlier. Active listings eased 5.8% month-over-month and 13.0% year-over-year, meaning both supply and demand contracted, with demand pulling back somewhat faster than inventory.
Months of supply sat at 4.6 in July 2026, down slightly from 4.8 in June but still below the 5.0 months recorded a year earlier — inventory measured in months-of-supply terms is 8.0% lower than a year ago.
As Cornerstone put it in its July 2026 release: "At 4.6 months of supply, inventory remains high by Hamilton-Burlington's historical standards, giving buyers more choice and creating more buyer-friendly conditions."
Source: Cornerstone Association of REALTORS® (Hamilton-Burlington-Haldimand-Niagara North), via CREA Statistics, July 2026.
Composite Benchmark — No Property-Type Breakdown
| Measure | Benchmark (HPI) | MoM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Home Types (Composite) | $729,800 | ▼ 1.0% | ▼ 4.9% |
Source: Cornerstone Association of REALTORS® (Hamilton-Burlington-Haldimand-Niagara North), via CREA Statistics, July 2026.
Supply and Demand — Percentage Change
All three activity measures — sales, new listings, and active listings — declined both month-over-month and year-over-year. New listings fell the fastest of the three, which is part of why months of supply actually ticked down slightly from June (4.8) to July (4.6) even as the market stayed buyer-friendly relative to the region's own history. Year over year, the picture is one of a market cooling on both sides at once: fewer sellers listing, fewer buyers transacting, and fewer homes sitting active.
Source: Cornerstone Association of REALTORS® (Hamilton-Burlington-Haldimand-Niagara North), via CREA Statistics, July 2026.
What's Driving the Market
Interest rates: The Bank of Canada's overnight rate held at 2.25% through mid-2026, with 5-year fixed rates settling around 4.29–4.69% and variable rates trailing prime (4.45%). Buyers still need to qualify under OSFI's mortgage stress test regardless of the rate they're offered — see our 2026 stress test guide and run your own numbers with the stress test calculator. For help choosing between rate types in the current environment, see fixed vs. variable mortgages.
Regional coverage: Cornerstone Association of REALTORS® was formed July 1, 2024 through the merger of RAHB (Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington) into a larger board covering Hamilton, Burlington, Haldimand, and Niagara North. Its monthly statistics, drawn from the ITSO MLS® System, report on this combined market area rather than the city of Hamilton alone — a structural reason this report has fewer granular breakdowns than boards covering a single city.
Buyer conditions: At 4.6 months of supply in July 2026 — down slightly from 4.8 in June but still below the year-ago figure of 5.0 — Cornerstone describes the market as buyer-friendly relative to Hamilton-Burlington's own historical norms, with buyers currently seeing more choice and negotiating room than the region has typically offered.
Land transfer tax: As an Ontario purchase, every Hamilton-area transaction is subject to the provincial land transfer tax, and first-time buyers can claim a rebate of up to $4,000. Estimate your closing costs with our land transfer tax calculator, read our guide to property transfer taxes across Canada, or check out our Ontario first-time buyer guide if this is your first purchase.
Key Terms
Hamilton Rents
We couldn't confirm a reliable, corroborated asking-rent figure for Hamilton in time for this report — rather than publish a shaky number, we're pointing you to broader regional data and our own tools instead. See our Canada Rent Report for national and regional rent trends, and use our rent vs. buy calculator to compare renting against buying at Hamilton's current composite benchmark price.
Compare Other Ontario Markets
See how Hamilton-Burlington compares to nearby GTHA markets: