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By Cam Lee

Inventory shortage

Shortage of housing inventory in Melfort leading to higher prices, some frustration

Sep 16, 2025 | 4:04 PM

It’s certainly a seller’s market in Melfort real estate these days.

The housing inventory is incredibly low in the city as buyers far outpace sellers in the current market.

Richelle Rogers, broker/agent of Realty Executives Gateway Realty in Melfort told northeastNOW there are currently just 10 houses on the market in the community. She said that demand is high, but the supply just isn’t there at the moment.

“For instance, there was one house that was listed that had 14 showings, and we presented six offers on it,” Rogers said. “It’s good for the seller and it’s good for the one buyer who got it, but there were five other people that wrote offers that are still looking in that price range.”

Rogers said there were 13 people in all looking for a similarly priced house and having that much inventory in that range likely won’t happen for some time, possibly into spring.

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“The last week of August was probably our tightest and we had five houses [in total] for sale in Melfort,” Rogers explained. “That was just unheard of in our area.”

Of the 10 houses currently on the market in Melfort, one is under $100,000, five are between $100,000 and $200,000, and there are one each in the $200,000, $300,000, $400,000, and $500,000 ranges.

The real estate landscape has changed over the past five or six years. Rogers said it wasn’t uncommon before the pandemic to have 50 or more houses on the market in Melfort, and she said the lack of housing inventory is an issue across Saskatchewan.

So – what’s caused the shortage of houses for sale?

Rogers believes there are several reasons. Some people from provinces like British Columbia, Ontario, and elsewhere are purchasing houses sight unseen. Other people are from cities like Saskatoon that sold their houses for a tidy profit, and are looking to purchase homes in a smaller, more relaxed atmosphere for a lower price.

She said people in a two-bedroom house in Melfort looking to upgrade to a larger house aren’t putting up their property for sale because there is currently nothing on the market for them to buy, and it’s a vicious cycle.

“It’s kind of stopped the sellers from putting their homes on the market because they know it will sell, but what are they going to live in?”

There have also been few homes built in the Melfort area, and Rogers said everyone seems a little gun-shy to put their house on the market unless they are certain they can get another house in Melfort or are leaving the community entirely.

Why aren’t more houses being built in Melfort?

Rogers said cost is certainly a factor, with material costs increasing year-over-year. She added the cost of new regulations and inspections is also higher. Builders are also very busy with projects at lakes and other locations, and many are booked up for some time.

Seniors looking to sell to downsize or move into condo units are also at a crossroads. Rogers said their options to move are limited, with only one condo currently on the market, and few inexpensive alternatives. She believes the community could use more condominiums and apartment complexes to help increase options for Melfort residents.

With all of that said, options for buyers are few and far between, and that isn’t likely to change overnight.

“We definitely don’t have enough listings to carry us through a normal winter here,” Rogers said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to last. We really would like to see some new builds, and if somehow that could happen and we get some new builds, then the people that are buying those new builds would have houses to sell in town.”

The smaller inventory is also pushing up prices, including a 19 per cent increase in August in Melfort. The total benchmark residential price exceeded $280,000 in the city, a significant jump from the 10-year average of just over $206,000. While Saskatchewan remains the most affordable province for housing, there is a limit to everything. Rogers said there is a concern that prices could increase beyond many people’s means.

If the inventory situation doesn’t change, prices “are going to go up, I think, to a point where it might become unaffordable,” Rogers said.

“Our prices are set by supply and demand, and when you’ve got six people writing [offers] on one home, that price is going to go up.”

Rogers said her concern is that if the demand continues to outweigh supply and prices keep skyrocketing, Melfort will not be the affordable community it has been.

The rental property situation isn’t much different, according to Rogers. She said she’s heard there are waiting lists for rentals as well, and rent prices are also increasing over time.

Melfort’s 10 listings pale in comparison to its smaller neighbour Tisdale, with 19 homes currently available on the market. Rogers said she has buyers now looking at Tisdale and other local communities with more inventory as they need a place to live. She said anyone living in a major city is used to commuting 30 minutes to work anyway, so they’re willing to purchase in communities like Tisdale that have available inventory. That means families that would otherwise be calling Melfort home are moving to other communities.

The increased cost of housing also remains a national issue, with recent federal government documents discussing how those costs are hurting the economy and making it a challenge for people to find places to live. The feds announced their Build Canada Homes initiative on Sunday, but none of the initial six communities to benefit from the plan are in Saskatchewan.

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com