Townhomes Are Quietly Outperforming Everything Else on the North Shore Right Now
“• Across Metro Vancouver, August 2026 home sales fell 4.6% year over year, but attached homes (townhomes and duplexes) were the only property type that sold more often than a year ago.
• In North Vancouver specifically, townhomes had a 20.7% sales-to-active-listings ratio in August, well ahead of detached (13.0%) and apartments (14.7%). That’s the closest thing to a tight market this year, in a single, specific property type.
• Region-wide, the townhouse benchmark price ($1,028,800) is down 4.4% year over year, the smallest decline of the three housing types, and down just 0.2% from July.
• For move-up buyers stuck between “too big a stretch for detached” and “outgrew the condo,” a townhome in Lynn Valley, Lower Lonsdale, or Norgate is functioning as a genuine step rung that mostly wasn’t there two years ago.”
The one line that broke from the pattern
Most of August's numbers told the same story we've heard most of 2026: fewer sales, more time on market, sellers adjusting expectations. Metro Vancouver logged 1,869 residential sales in August, down from 1,959 a year earlier and well below the 10-year seasonal average.
But attached home sales (the category that covers townhomes and duplexes) actually rose slightly year over year, from 409 to 412. Every other property type sold less often than it did last August.
The only property type selling more often than a year ago: townhomes. Everything else in Metro Vancouver — detached and apartments alike — sold less.
It's a small number in absolute terms, but it's the only positive sign in an otherwise soft month, and townhouse prices have held up better too: down 4.4% year over year regionally, the smallest decline of the three housing types.
North Vancouver, by the numbers
Zoom into North Vancouver specifically, and the pattern gets sharper. The sales-to-active-listings ratio is a simple way to tell how much competition exists for what's on the market — the higher it is, the more offers a typical listing is drawing. Anything above roughly 20% is generally considered balanced-to-seller's-market territory.
| Property type | Aug 2026 sales-to-active ratio |
|---|---|
| Townhomes | 20.7% |
| Apartments | 14.7% |
| Detached houses | 13.0% |
North Vancouver, August 2026. Source: REBGV monthly statistics package.
In a year where "buyer's market" has been the dominant headline, North Vancouver townhomes are the one corner of the market where sellers are still seeing real interest.
Why now
Some of it is straightforward math:
A lot of North Shore families who bought their first condo five to eight years ago have outgrown it and want ground-oriented living with a bit of outdoor space.
Many aren't ready, or don't want, to stretch into a $2M+ detached home in the current rate environment.
Townhomes in Lynn Valley, Lower Lonsdale, and Norgate have quietly become the answer: family-sized, walkable to schools and amenities, and priced meaningfully below detached without the strata dynamics of a large highrise.
That's a step-ladder rung on the North Shore that, frankly, didn't really exist in the same way two or three years ago, when townhome supply here was thinner and pricing sat closer to entry-level detached.
None of this means townhomes are immune to the broader slowdown. Prices are still down from last year, and the region overall remains a buyer-friendly market by most measures. But relative to everything else on offer right now, this is the segment where competition hasn't fully evaporated.
What This Means for You
Buying a townhome: you're competing in the one segment where other buyers are paying attention too. Have financing sorted and a clear sense of your must-haves before you're touring, not after you've found the one you like.
Selling a townhome: current demand gives you more room to hold a reasonable price than a seller of a detached home has right now — but "more room" isn't "unlimited room" in a market that's still adjusting overall.
Weighing detached versus townhome as your move-up step: it depends on timeline and runway. A townhome gets you ground-oriented space and a lower entry price today; detached gets you land and fewer strata considerations, and in today's market you have more time and selection to find the right one. Neither is the "correct" choice, just a different trade-off.
Already own a townhome and wondering about timing: this data suggests your segment is performing better than most of what's around it. That's worth a conversation, not a decision made on a headline.
Thinking Through What This Means for Your Move?
If you're weighing a move within the North Shore, whether that's condo-to-townhome, townhome-to-detached, or you're just trying to understand what your specific street or building is doing right now, I'm happy to pull the actual comparables for your situation. No pressure, just a clearer picture before you decide anything. Reach out here and we'll go through it together.
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604.317.4464
Matt@RossettiRealty.ca
About Matt Council
Matt Council is a North Vancouver Realtor and West Van specialist with a background in finance, focused on a data-driven, pressure-free approach to buying and selling on the North Shore.