What BCREA’s Weak BC Nowcast Means for Chilliwack and Abbotsford Owners
BC growth has softened again, and local resale conditions in Chilliwack and Abbotsford already show longer selling times and more negotiation. Here’s what that means if you’re deciding whether to sell now or keep holding.
Article Details
- Author: Lukas Matheson
- Published: May 3, 2026
- Category: Market Brief
Article Summary
- BCREA’s latest nowcast is a provincial economic update, not a Fraser Valley market report. Still, it matters to local owners because weak growth usually shows up the same way on the ground: buyers take longer, negotiate harder, and punish overpriced listings faster. That lines up with what Chilliwack and Abbotsford owners are already seeing. Recent local sales data in both cities points to a softer resale market, with homes taking longer to move and selling below list price more often than they were in tighter conditions. ## The provincial signal is soft, and that fits the local mood According to the [BCREA Nowcast](https://www.bcrea.bc.ca/economics/bcrea-nowcast/), BC real GDP growth was 1.2 percent year over year in February 2026. That was an improvement from the prior month, but BCREA still described it as well below trend. Its preliminary estimate for March was weaker again at 0.2 percent, compared with 0.9 percent for Canada. On its own, that does not tell you what your townhouse in Sardis or condo in Abbotsford Centre is worth this week. What it does tell you is that the broader backdrop is not giving the housing market much help right now. Slower growth tends to make househo