Push to ‘Buy Canadian’ attracts domestic buyers reports Royal LePage

Following declining activity in 2024, Canada’s most popular ski regions reported gains in sales and property prices in the first three quarters of this year, including Invermere and area.

According to the recently released Royal LePage Winter Recreational Property Report, home prices in Canada’s popular ski regions rose moderately in the first nine months of 2025. Nationally, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 3.8 per cent year over year to $982,000.

“Following a year of sluggish activity and stagnant prices in 2024, the real estate markets in Canada’s most popular ski destinations rebounded in 2025. Modest interest rate relief and a growing ‘Buy Canadian’ mindset helped reignite demand for slopeside chalets and mountain retreats.

“While economic uncertainty continues to weigh on many urban markets, buyers seeking winter escapes are pushing ahead – demonstrating once again the resilience and enduring appeal of Canada’s recreational regions,” said Phil Soper, president and chief executive officer, Royal LePage.

Recreational real estate markets across the country have proven to be more resilient and stable than major urban markets over the past year, with strong demand and increases in sales activity and prices. A majority of the recreational real estate markets covered in the report (89%) recorded a year-over-year increase in sales activity in the first nine months of 2025, and more than three quarters (78%) recorded an increase in the median price of single-family homes.

Eighty per cent of Royal LePage recreational property experts across the country reported similar or more demand in their respective regions for recreational homes compared to 2024, while 47% reported an increase in inventory, and 47% reported an increase in the average number of days on market.

In the first nine months of the year, the median price of a single-family detached home in British Columbia’s popular ski regions increased 1.8% over year to $1,796,000, while the median price of a condominium increased 9.5% to $528,500. In the province’s recreational market, the median price of a single-family detached home is forecast to increase 3.5 % over the next 12 months, Royal LePage reported.

The median price of a single-family detached home in Invermere’s recreational property market for the first nine months of the year increased 3.5% year over year to $775,000, while the median price of a condominium increased 4.1% to $359,000. For those looking to buy a house or condominium slopeside or at mountain base, prices typically start at $675,000 and $290,000, respectively. Total sales were up 9.3% year over year in the region.

“The strength of Alberta’s economy has motivated more Canadians to cross provincial lines and invest in recreational properties in B.C. over the past year. While lower interest rates aren’t typically the main driver of recreational buying activity, recent rate cuts have provided an added incentive to make a purchase. As a result, we’ve seen a notable uptick in demand this past year, alongside rising home prices,” said Barry Benson, broker, Royal LePage Rockies West Realty.

“Limited inventory has further fueled price growth. Many of our buyers continue to come from Calgary – urban residents looking for a weekend escape just across the B.C. border – but interest from other parts of Alberta has been gradually increasing as well.”

Benson added that since many Invermere recreational buyers live outside the area, they often look to short-term rent their properties to help offset carrying costs. However, increasingly strict regional regulations on short-term rentals have made that more difficult as of late.

“If Alberta’s economy continues to gain momentum, we can expect the Invermere market to stay active, pushing prices higher in 2026,” said Benson. “However, low inventory levels could start to curb demand if buyers aren’t able to find the winter getaway they’ve been searching for.”

Royal LePage is forecasting that the median price of a single-family detached home in Invermere will increase two per cent over the next 12 months.

It is also forecasting the median price of a single-family detached home in Canada’s recreational ski regions will increase four per cent over the next 12 months. This outlook reflects expectations of a continued rebound in the recreational market, supported by lower borrowing costs that will draw more buyers back into the market, as well as growing domestic demand for recreational properties across the country.

Lead image: Panorama Mountain Resort, west of Invermere. e-KNOW file photos

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