Seller education · September 2026 evidence
Calgary Home Prices Are Down — So Why Are Average Sale Prices Up?
By Alex Pidann, Calgary REALTOR® · RE/MAX Innovations · Published · Updated
Both headlines can be accurate because they measure different things. The benchmark tracks a typical home. The average reflects the prices of the properties that actually sold.
What September’s figures actually say
CREB® reported a total residential benchmark of $566,700 (−0.82% year over year), while the average sale price was $646,198 (+4.93%). For detached homes, the benchmark was $739,400 (−0.95%), while the average was $823,483 (+5.18%).
September 2026 · City of Calgary
A lower benchmark and a higher average can coexist
Different price measures, shown on the same dollar scale
Benchmark: the estimated value of a representative home, designed to track price change with less influence from the mix of properties sold.
Average: the total dollar value of sales divided by the number of sales. It can rise when more expensive properties account for a larger share of transactions.
View exact figures
| Property category | Benchmark price | Benchmark YoY | Average sale price | Average YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total residential | $566,700 | -0.82% | $646,198 | +4.93% |
| Detached | $739,400 | -0.95% | $823,483 | +5.18% |
The bars compare two distinct measures, not the value of the same home. Opposite year-over-year movements are consistent with property-mix effects; these figures alone do not isolate the cause or determine an individual property's value.
Source: CREB® September 2026 Monthly Statistics Package.
Chart and interpretation by Alex Pidann. CREB® is the statistical source and has not created or endorsed this interpretation.
“Calgary prices are down” is therefore incomplete without naming the measure, property type and comparison period. So is “the average is up.” Neither headline tells an owner what a particular buyer will pay for their home.
Benchmark, median and average answer different questions
| Measure | What it describes | Main limitation for a seller |
|---|---|---|
| Benchmark | A modelled typical home based on attributes such as size, location and bedrooms. | Your home can differ materially from the model. It is broader price context, not an appraisal. |
| Median | The midpoint of sale prices: half the sales are above it and half below. | Less sensitive to extreme prices than an average, but still affected by which homes sold. |
| Average | Total sale value divided by the number of sales. | A small number of expensive sales can move it; changing property mix also matters. |
September’s total residential median was $574,444 (+2.49% year over year). The detached median was $686,750 (−0.47%). Those measures also describe their respective sold samples; neither establishes a value for an unsold home.
How the mix can lift an average
If more expensive homes account for a greater share of completed sales, the average can rise even when comparable homes are broadly stable or lower. Conversely, a larger share of smaller or lower-priced sales can pull it down. Total residential figures can also shift with the balance of detached homes, apartments, row homes and semi-detached properties.
The same effect can occur within detached housing as the mix of districts, home sizes, condition and price bands changes. A month with more expensive detached transactions does not mean the typical detached home appreciated by the same amount.
This mechanism is consistent with September’s differing benchmark and average movements. The figures presented here do not quantify how much of the gap was caused by mix, or isolate every other influence.
A worked example: the average rises 25%, but the original prices do not change
These are invented samples for explaining the arithmetic, not Calgary transactions, comparable sales or a forecast. Sample B retains the three prices in Sample A and adds one higher-priced sale.
| Sample | Individual sale prices | Total sale value | Sales | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $1,000,000 · $1,200,000 · $1,400,000 | $3,600,000 | 3 | $1,200,000 |
| B | $1,000,000 · $1,200,000 · $1,400,000 · $2,400,000 | $6,000,000 | 4 | $1,500,000 |
The average rises from $1.2 million to $1.5 million: ($1.5 million − $1.2 million) ÷ $1.2 million = 25%. None of the three original prices increased. The samples changed. A benchmark cannot be calculated from this small example; it uses a separate model.
For your home, record the relevant completed sales separately from the homes a buyer could choose now. Use the imperfect-comparables guide to organize differences in setting, layout, condition and documented work, then discuss current alternatives in a Seller Competition Review.
Why the headline cannot determine your home’s value
Applying either the benchmark’s decline or the average’s increase directly to a purchase price, assessment or past opinion skips the evidence that matters: comparable sales, current buyer alternatives, street and lot setting, usable layout, condition and documented work.
For September’s supply and sales context, read the detached market brief and the persistent Calgary Detached Market hub. For upper-price-band activity, use the separately scoped luxury-market report.
Then review how the pricing evidence is weighed and what a personal valuation review includes. The useful result is a supported range and a launch recommendation with its assumptions explained.
Source: CREB® September 2026 Monthly Statistics Package. Pages 5–6 and 29 of the City of Calgary package. Changes shown are year over year unless stated otherwise.
Charts and seller interpretation by Alex Pidann. CREB® supplies the statistics; it has not created or endorsed this interpretation. City and district figures cover detached homes at all prices unless otherwise labelled, and do not value an individual home.
Private Property Review
What do these figures mean for your home?
Review relevant completed sales, the homes competing for the same buyer and the preparation that could change your position. Alex Pidann, REALTOR® with RE/MAX Innovations, provides direct representation for Calgary detached and estate sellers.
Begin with a Seller Competition Review, understand the pricing method, or explore what a personal home valuation review covers.
Request a Private Property Review