My “Walk Around the Block” Method for Staying Ahead of the Real Estate Market
One of the most common questions I get is:👉 “How do you actually stay on top of the market every day?”The answer is something I call:👉 My “walk around the block.”It’s simple. It’s consistent. And it gives me a real-time feel for what’s actually happening in the market—not just what headlines are saying.Today, I’m going to walk you through:- My daily routine
- My monthly deep dive
- And how I quickly evaluate a market before a listing appointment
What Is “The Walk Around the Block”?
Think about how you check your phone:- Banking app
- Social media
- Messages
👉 Same system, same flow
👉 Over time, it builds an instinct for what’s happening
My Daily Routine (5 Minutes That Matter)
1. Fraser Valley Snapshot (Paragon)
Every morning, I log into our MLS backend system (Paragon).Right away, I get:- Listings this month vs last month
- Listings vs last year
- Sales this month vs last month
- Sales vs last year
What I’m Seeing Right Now:
- Listings are dropping
→ Typical for summer
→ Also down year-over-year - Sales are slightly up (for now)
→ Rare for July to outperform June
→ Suggests June may have been weaker than expected
2. Active Listings (Inventory Check)
This is one of the most important numbers I track daily.In my market:- 6,000 – 6,500 listings → Balanced market
- Below 5,000 → Prices rise fast
- Above 10,000 → Buyer’s market gets ugly
Right Now:
👉 ~9,300 active listings- Up slightly day-over-day
- Didn’t hit the 10,000 I expected this year
Bad… but not as bad as it could have been
My Monthly Routine (Deeper Analysis)
Once a month, I go through the full Fraser Valley Real Estate Board stats package.This is where things get real.Year-to-Date Snapshot
- Sales: DOWN 5% year-over-year
- Listings: DOWN 10% year-over-year
➡️ But it’s also not improving
The Big Reality
2025 was already the slowest market in 25 years.👉 And now we’re doing worse.What This Means
- The market stabilized…
- But at a low level of activity
The Chart I Always Look At
There’s one chart I care about more than anything:👉 Sales vs Active ListingsWhat I’m watching is the gap:- When the gap is small → market tightens → prices stabilize
- When the gap is large → oversupply → prices drop
Key Stat:
👉 Only 1 in 10 homes are selling each monthThat is a clear buyer’s marketWhat This Means for You
Sellers:
- You are competing heavily
- Pricing is everything
- Waiting likely means less money later
Buyers:
- You have options
- You have leverage
- But only in certain segments
Micro-Markets Matter (A Lot)
Not all markets behave the same.Example:
- Clayton townhomes (Surrey)
→ Still competitive
→ Still selling quickly - North Surrey condos / detached
→ Oversupply
→ Buyers have full control
How I Prep for a Listing Appointment (Real Example)
Let’s say I’m evaluating a detached home in New Westminster.Here’s what I check:1. Price Trend
- Down ~$50,000 since start of year
- ~7% year-over-year drop
2. Sales Activity
- Not terrible
- Slight improvement recently
3. Active Listings
👉 This is the big one:- Highest inventory in 20+ years
4. Months of Inventory
👉 Around 10 months- Balanced market = ~4–6 months
- Seller’s market = under 4
- Buyer’s market = over 6
5. Days on Market
- Currently ~30–40 days
- Previously up to 70–80 days
➡️ Price reduction is coming
Why This System Works
This “walk around the block” method works because:- It’s simple
- It’s repeatable
- It removes emotion
👉 I’m not reacting to headlinesI’m just watching the numbers—every day.
Final Thought
The market right now isn’t collapsing.But it’s also not recovering.👉 It’s stuck in a buyer’s marketAnd in a market like this:- Sellers need to be realistic
- Buyers need to be strategic
If you want to better understand how buyer markets actually push prices down over time…👉 That’s something I break down in detail in the next video.
Written by:
Steve Karrasch PREC
Karrasch Real Properties Team
Macdonald Realty