Are home prices dropping in Windsor-Essex? Yes, slightly. The MLS® benchmark price in Windsor-Essex County was $561,600 in October 2026, down 4.8% from a year ago, and homes sold for 98.9% of asking on average.
A year ago, buyers in Windsor-Essex were paying over asking. In October 2026, they paid a little under. That one shift tells you a lot about where the local market is right now: calmer, more balanced, and giving buyers room to negotiate again.
I’m Linda Hakr, a REALTOR® with JUMP Realty Inc., and every month I go through the Windsor-Essex County market reports so you don’t have to. Here’s what October’s numbers say, and what I’d do with them if I were buying or selling right now.
Windsor-Essex Market at a Glance: October 2026
| Measure | October 2026 | vs. October 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Homes sold | 449 | Down 17.2% |
| New listings | 1,250 | Down 11.6% |
| Active listings (month-end) | 2,110 | Down 3.2% |
| MLS® HPI benchmark price | $561,600 | Down 4.8% |
| Average sale price | $541,432 | Down 2.8% |
| Median sale price | $500,000 | Down 2.0% |
| Sale-to-list price ratio | 98.9% | Was 102.2% |
| Months of inventory | 4.7 | Was 4.0 |
| Median days on market | 19 | Was 19 |
Source: Windsor-Essex County Association of REALTORS® Residential Market Activity and MLS® Home Price Index Report, October 2026, prepared by CREA.
Are Windsor-Essex Home Prices Dropping?
A little. The MLS® Home Price Index benchmark is the number I trust most, because it compares similar homes from month to month instead of being thrown off by which homes happened to sell. In October, the Windsor-Essex benchmark came in at $561,600. That’s down 1.5% from September and down 4.8% from October 2025.
The average sale price was $541,432, down 2.8%, and the median sale price was an even $500,000, down 2.0%. That’s not a crash. It’s a market that has been cooling gradually.
Homes Are Selling Under Asking Again
The number that tells you the most about how the market actually feels is the sale-to-list price ratio. In October, it was 98.9%, which means the typical Windsor-Essex home sold for a little under its asking price. A year ago, it was 102.2%, so homes were selling over asking.
That flip matters. Buyers have room to negotiate again, and sellers can’t count on bidding wars to push their price up.
Inventory Hit Its Highest October Level in a Decade
At the end of October, there were 2,110 homes for sale across Windsor-Essex County. That works out to 4.7 months of inventory, meaning it would take almost five months to sell everything on the market if no new listings came on. A year ago, it was 4.0 months. Looking back over the last decade of Octobers, 4.7 is the highest it’s been.
But homes aren’t sitting forever. Median days on market was 19 days, exactly where it was last October. Half the homes that sold went in 19 days or less. What’s changed is that buyers are pickier. A well-priced home still sells quickly, while an overpriced one gets skipped.
Houses, Townhouses, and Condos Are Moving Differently
Single-family homes
Houses are doing most of the work. 400 of the 449 sales in October were single-family homes. The single-family benchmark is $604,900, down 5.3% from last year, with 4.3 months of inventory and a median of 18 days on market.
Townhouses
Townhouse prices have softened the fastest. The townhouse benchmark is $412,700, down 9.3% in just three months. The townhouses that did sell went quickly, in a median of 16.5 days, but only 12 sold, so that’s a small sample.
Apartment-style condos
Condos are the slowest part of the Windsor-Essex market. Only 19 apartment-style condos sold in October, down 32.1% from a year ago, and 211 were for sale. That’s 11.1 months of inventory, more than double the market overall. If you’re buying a condo, you have real negotiating power. If you’re selling one, plan for a longer timeline.
Bungalows Lead Windsor-Essex Sales
Bungalows were the most popular style of home sold in October, with 92 sales at an average price of $458,249. Ranches came next with 62 sales, at an average of $609,752. The busiest price range was $500,000 to $549,999, with 45 sales.
That lines up with what I hear every week. Many of the people reaching out to me, especially those relocating to Leamington, Kingsville, and Wheatley, want one-floor living.
What the Bank of Canada Rate Hike Means
On October 28, 2026, the Bank of Canada raised its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point, from 2.25% to 2.50%. That’s the first increase after holding at 2.25% for a full year.
Most October sales were already done by then, so these numbers don’t reflect the hike yet. But if you have a variable-rate mortgage or a line of credit, your payments are likely going up, and buyers may qualify for a little less than they did a month ago. November’s numbers will show the first real effect.
What This Means If You’re Buying in Windsor-Essex
- You have more choice than you’ve had in years, and you’re usually not competing with a pile of other offers.
- Update your mortgage pre-approval before you start looking, since the rate increase may change your budget.
- Don’t lowball a well-priced home. Those still sell in under three weeks.
- On homes that have been sitting, and on condos especially, there’s room to negotiate.
What This Means If You’re Selling in Windsor-Essex
Price it right from day one. Buyers are watching the same numbers I am, and now they’re watching interest rates too. Homes that come out at the right price are still selling in under three weeks. The ones that start too high tend to sit, and a home that sits starts to look like something’s wrong with it.
Price your home against what similar homes have actually sold for and what you’re competing with right now, not what a neighbour got two years ago.
A Note on Wheatley
Only two homes sold in Wheatley in October. In a town that size, monthly numbers bounce around too much to be meaningful, so I track Wheatley over the longer run instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it a good time to buy a home in Windsor-Essex?
For many buyers, yes. In October 2026, Windsor-Essex had 4.7 months of inventory, its highest October level in a decade, and homes sold for 98.9% of asking on average. That gives buyers more choice and negotiating room than they’ve had in recent years.
How long does it take to sell a home in Windsor-Essex?
The median days on market in Windsor-Essex County was 19 days in October 2026, the same as a year earlier. Well-priced homes still sell quickly, while condos are taking longer, with 11.1 months of inventory.
What is the average home price in Windsor-Essex?
The average sale price in Windsor-Essex County was $541,432 in October 2026, and the median was $500,000. The MLS® benchmark price, which compares similar homes over time, was $561,600.
Thinking About Buying or Selling in Windsor-Essex?
If you’re curious what your home would sell for in today’s market, or you’re planning a move to Leamington, Kingsville, Wheatley, or anywhere in Windsor-Essex or Chatham-Kent, I’d love to help. I’ll put together a real number for your home, no pressure.
Linda Hakr is a REALTOR® with JUMP Realty Inc., a three-time Top Producer, 2025 Gold Award winner, and ranked in the Top 5% at JUMP Realty, with 22 homes sold in 2025, a #1 ranking in Chatham-Kent on RateMyAgent, and 40+ five-star Google reviews. She serves Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, including Leamington, Kingsville, Wheatley, and Chatham. Reach Linda at 519-654-6695, linda.hakr@jumprealty.ca, or lindahakrrealtor.ca.
Planning a move to Kingsville? Read Moving to Kingsville, Ontario? 12 Things Nobody Tells You.
Cheers, Linda Hakr, REALTOR®.