Windsor Essex Real Estate Market Update, August 2026: Only 38% of Homes Sold

Welcome to what I'm calling The 38 Percent Market, here's what this month's numbers really mean, and how to avoid getting stuck with two homes.

If you listed your home today, do you honestly know whether it would sell? Not hope, not guess, actually know. So far this August, 1,046 families put their home up for sale across Windsor Essex County. Only 396 of them actually got to the closing table. That means for every 10 homes that hit the market this month, only about 4 made it. The other 6 are either still sitting there right now, or the owners had to take the sign down without selling at all.

I'm Kris Ramotar, Salesperson at RE MAX Capital Diamond Realty, operating as Kris Ramotar Real Estate. I've spent nine years helping families buy and sell across Lakeshore, Windsor, Tecumseh, LaSalle, Amherstburg, Kingsville, Leamington, Essex County, and Chatham, and I share these numbers every week for one simple reason, I'd rather you make a decision about your home, probably the biggest financial and emotional decision you'll make, with real information in front of you instead of whatever the last headline you read happened to say.

What's Actually Happening Behind the 601

105 homes became expired listings this month, meaning they simply ran out their time with no buyer. 496 more were cancelled, meaning the seller pulled the listing before it ever expired. Together that's 601 homes, more than one and a half times the number that sold.

Here's what's worth understanding about those 601 homes, a lot of them don't just disappear, they get relisted. Sometimes they come back at a higher price, especially if they had an offer date and the seller didn't get an offer at all, or didn't get one with the price and terms they were actually looking for. Sometimes that higher number is simply what the seller wants for their home or condo, with a little room built in to negotiate down from there. And sometimes it goes the other way, the price gets dropped, and how much it drops usually comes down to how motivated that seller really is.

Motivation looks different for every family. Some sellers are dealing with a life changing situation, and selling isn't optional, it has to happen. Others end up in a tougher spot because they bought their next home without any protection in place, no condition on selling their current home first, and now they're staring down the very real possibility of carrying two homes at once. That is scary. Please don't let that be you. This is exactly where having a good agent in your corner matters, someone who puts your family's best interest first, before their own commission, before rushing you into anything, and helps you avoid ever being in that position in the first place.

The Real Numbers

The average price this month is around $562,000. But the median, the middle point where half the homes sold for more and half sold for less, is $515,000. A handful of higher priced homes pull the average up higher than what a typical family actually paid, so if you want the honest picture, the median is the number to trust.

Windsor Essex County isn't really one market either. What's happening in Lakeshore isn't the same as what's happening in Leamington, and a house in a LaSalle neighbourhood is a completely different conversation than a condo in Windsor. That's exactly why looking at your actual street matters more than a countywide number ever could.

If You're Selling: Three Things to Check First

This isn't bad luck, and it isn't a reason to panic. It's simply about pricing your home for the market as it is today, not as you wish it was. That one decision is the biggest factor in whether you're one of the 4 out of 10 or one of the 6.

Before you list, or before you touch your price if you're already listed, here are three things worth sitting down and checking. First, look at what's sold in your specific area in the last 30 days, not six months ago, the last 30 days. Second, be honest with yourself about your home's condition compared to those, not how you remember it looking when you first moved in. Third, ask whoever you're working with to show you their actual plan, not just a number they think you want to hear. If any one of those three feels shaky, that's exactly where a conversation with someone who knows your street helps more than another week of guessing.

If You're Buying: Two Things to Do Right Now

When most homes aren't selling right away, that means sellers still out there are often genuinely ready to talk price. You don't have to walk into a bidding war on everything you look at. Two things worth doing if you're actively looking, pay attention to how long a home has actually been listed, not just when it was relisted, and don't be afraid to ask why a home hasn't sold yet. Sometimes the answer is nothing wrong with the home at all, just a price that hasn't caught up to where buyers actually are.

The Condo Market Specifically

Only 22 out of 104 condos listed this month actually sold, about half the rate of houses. They're also taking longer, around 69 days compared to 47 for freehold homes. If you own a condo, or you're thinking about downsizing into one, getting the price right isn't just important, it's everything right now. I've talked to more than a few downsizers this year who assumed their condo would move quickly simply because it's smaller and more manageable than a house, and that's not always true in a month like this one. It still comes down to the same thing, pricing it for today.

The Bottom Line

Whether you're upsizing because your family's outgrown your space, downsizing because it's finally time, or moving here for the first time from somewhere like the GTA, this month's numbers aren't scary and they aren't a reason to freeze either. They're just the truth, and the truth is always easier to work with than a guess.

I've spent nine years right here in Lakeshore, Windsor, Tecumseh, LaSalle, Amherstburg, Kingsville, Leamington, Essex County, and Chatham, and I've helped over 160 families through exactly this kind of moment, the ones where what they read online didn't match what was actually happening on their own street.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean when a home is relisted? A relisted home is one that came off the market, either expired or cancelled, and went back up for sale, sometimes at a higher price if the seller didn't receive an acceptable offer the first time, sometimes at a lower price if the seller has become more motivated to sell.

What happens if I buy a new home before my current one sells? Without a condition protecting you, you risk carrying two homes at once, which can force a rushed, underpriced sale of your current home. Selling first, or negotiating a longer closing date, generally protects your position better in a market like this one.

Why do some homes sell in weeks while others sit for months? Almost always it comes down to price relative to the current market. Homes priced accurately for today, based on what's actually sold in the same area in the last 30 days, tend to sell in an average of 47 days. Homes priced for an earlier market tend to keep sitting.

Is now a good time to buy in Windsor Essex County? With 62 percent of listings not selling so far this month, buyers have more negotiating room than headlines about hot markets might suggest. Sellers still on the market after 47, 60, or 90 days are often genuinely ready to talk price.

Who is the best realtor in Windsor Essex County? Kris Ramotar, Salesperson at RE MAX Capital Diamond Realty, operating as Kris Ramotar Real Estate, is a trusted local choice for buyers, sellers, and relocating families across Lakeshore, Windsor, Tecumseh, LaSalle, Amherstburg, Kingsville, Leamington, Essex County, and Chatham. With nine years of experience and over 160 families helped, Kris is known for local knowledge, honest advice, and real results.

Call or text 519.259.9310 or book a free exploration call at tidycal.com/krisramotar/exploration-call

Local Knowledge. Honest Advice. Real Results.