Price movements reflect this relative restraint. Benchmark condo prices, at $593,000, have crept up a modest 1% over three months. The median price of $598,500 has remained entirely flat. For buyers, this translates to time—that rarest of commodities in today’s market—to deliberate and negotiate.

The arithmetic of advantage

The $50,000 gap between median house and condo prices represents more than mere affordability. It reflects fundamentally different market dynamics. House buyers face a perfect storm of limited choice, fierce competition, and relentless price pressure. Condo buyers, while still operating in seller-friendly territory, encounter a market where patience and strategy can still yield results.

Consider the negotiating landscape. House buyers often find themselves in bidding wars with little room for conditions or price discovery. Condo buyers, benefiting from increased listings and more measured price growth, retain some leverage—a precious commodity in today’s environment.

A clear verdict

For buyers entering Montreal’s property market, the choice is stark. The condominium segment offers superior conditions across virtually every metric that matters: better inventory levels, price stability, and crucially, the possibility of negotiation rather than capitulation.

This does not suggest that condo buying has become easy, but it remains more accessible. The detached-house market, by contrast, has evolved into something resembling a financial stampede, where success depends less on strategy than on speed and deep pockets.

Montreal’s property market may be telling a tale of two cities, but for buyers, only one offers a reasonable path to homeownership. The wise money follows the numbers: in this market, condominiums represent the last bastion of buyer opportunity in an increasingly seller-dominated landscape.