BC Assessment Watch — Attached Properties | August 2026
Tri-Cities Condos & Townhomes Listed Near BC Assessment: What the Numbers Mean for Buyers and Sellers in 2026
BC Assessment values for Tri-Cities condos and townhomes were set on January 1, 2026. Seven and a half months later, the data tells a clear story: asking prices are sitting almost exactly at assessed value, with an average list-to-assessed ratio of 97.8% across 1,132 matched listings. That means sellers are pricing their attached homes at roughly par with what BC Assessment determined they were worth at the start of the year — a signal of a balanced, price-sensitive market where neither buyers nor sellers hold a commanding edge. If you are shopping for a condo or townhome in Coquitlam, Port Moody, or Port Coquitlam right now, understanding how to read that gap is one of the most practical tools you have. Browse current Tri-Cities listings →
Of the 1,132 attached properties analyzed, 264 are listed below 95% of their BC Assessment — meaning the asking price is more than 5% under the assessed value. Another 438 are priced within the 95–115% range, sitting at or near what BC Assessment recorded. Only 17 properties are listed above 115% of assessed value, indicating very few sellers are pushing prices aggressively beyond what the province calculated in January. The concentration of listings in the near-assessed band tells buyers that most sellers in the Tri-Cities attached market are anchoring their pricing to the assessment, rather than chasing speculative premiums. For sellers, it confirms that dramatically overpricing relative to assessed value is not working — the market is not absorbing it. The 264 listings priced more than 5% below assessed value are especially worth watching: some represent motivated sellers, estate sales, or properties with condition issues, but others may simply reflect the reality that the market has softened slightly since January 1 and sellers need to discount to get traction. In practical terms, an average ratio of 97.8% means that for a condo assessed at $650,000, the typical asking price in today’s Tri-Cities market is approximately $636,000. That context matters enormously when you are deciding what to offer or how to price your unit.
BC Assessment vs list price · Attached homes · Tri-Cities
How do list prices compare to BC Assessment?
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Key takeaways
The average list-to-assessed ratio of 97.8% across 1,132 Tri-Cities condos and townhomes means sellers are asking for slightly less than what BC Assessment determined on January 1, 2026. This is not a dramatic discount — on a $700,000 assessed unit, the typical list price works out to roughly $685,000 — but it does indicate that prices have not climbed materially since the January assessment date, and that sellers are largely accepting the province’s valuation as their pricing anchor.
One in four matched listings in the Tri-Cities attached market is priced more than 5% below its BC Assessment value. This is a meaningful subset of inventory. For buyers, these properties deserve scrutiny: some are priced low because of condition, layout, or strata issues, but others reflect a seller who needs to move and has already absorbed a price reduction. Bringing a current assessment and a comparative market analysis to negotiations on these listings puts buyers in a strong position to make a data-backed offer.
Just 17 of 1,132 analyzed attached properties are listed above 115% of their BC Assessment value. That is less than 1.5% of the matched inventory. In a hot market, this number would be far higher as sellers push well beyond the January valuation. The fact that it is nearly absent tells you the Tri-Cities condo and townhome market in August 2026 is not running hot. Buyers should feel less pressure from artificial urgency, and sellers should price realistically rather than testing the ceiling.
If you are selling a condo or townhome in Coquitlam, Port Moody, or Port Coquitlam, the BC Assessment comparison data from August 2026 sends a clear message: the market is pricing at roughly assessed value, not above it. Listing significantly above your assessed value without a compelling reason — major renovation, premium floor, rare view — is unlikely to produce results. The 438 listings clustered in the 95–115% band are absorbing buyer attention. Pricing within that range, backed by recent comparable sales, gives your listing the best chance of selling in a reasonable time frame.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions answered
What is BC Assessment and how is it calculated?
BC Assessment is a provincial Crown corporation that determines the market value of every property in British Columbia as of January 1 each year. For condos and townhomes in Coquitlam, Port Moody, and Port Coquitlam, BC Assessment uses recent comparable sales, property size, building age, strata plan data, and location to arrive at an assessed value. That value is used primarily to calculate municipal property taxes, not to set sale prices — but it serves as a widely referenced benchmark in real estate negotiations throughout 2026.
How does BC Assessment affect condo and townhome prices in the Tri-Cities in 2026?
BC Assessment does not legally set home prices, but it heavily influences how sellers price and how buyers negotiate. In August 2026, the average list-to-assessed ratio for Tri-Cities condos and townhomes is 97.8%, meaning most sellers are pricing just below their BC Assessment value. Buyers routinely pull the assessment on file to gauge whether a listing is priced fairly, and many offers in the Tri-Cities market reference the assessed value as a starting point for negotiation.
Should I offer below BC Assessment when buying a condo or townhome in Coquitlam?
It depends on where the listing sits relative to assessment. In August 2026, 264 Tri-Cities attached homes are listed below 95% of their BC Assessment, meaning the asking price is already discounted from the province’s January valuation. Offering below an already-below-assessment list price is reasonable if comparable sales support it, but offering below assessment on a fairly priced listing requires justification from recent sales data. BC Assessment alone is not sufficient grounds for a low offer — you need current comparable sales within the same building or neighbourhood to anchor your number.
Is BC Assessment an accurate reflection of current market value in Coquitlam in 2026?
BC Assessment reflects market value as of January 1, 2026, not today’s value. For Coquitlam condos and townhomes in August 2026, the data shows that the market has moved very little since the January assessment date — the average list-to-assessed ratio is 97.8%, which is close to par. This means BC Assessment is a reasonably useful reference point right now, but it is not a substitute for a current comparative market analysis based on sales from the past 60 to 90 days in the specific building or neighbourhood you are targeting.
How should I use BC Assessment when buying an attached home in the Tri-Cities?
Start by pulling the BC Assessment value for any condo or townhome you are seriously considering. Then calculate the list-to-assessed ratio by dividing the asking price by the assessed value. In the current Tri-Cities market, the average ratio is 97.8%, so a listing at 110% of assessment is priced above the norm and warrants scrutiny. A listing at 88% of assessment may reflect a motivated seller or a property with issues worth investigating. Use the ratio as a quick filter, then confirm your offer price with recent comparable sales — ideally from the same building or within the same strata complex — before submitting an offer.
Sebastian Czarkowski
REALTOR® · Royal LePage Elite West · Coquitlam, BC
Questions about buying or selling in the Tri-Cities? Reach out directly.
Data sourced from Paragon MLS® system · 17-August · For educational purposes only. Not intended as financial or legal advice.
Sebastian Czarkowski, REALTOR® | Royal LePage Elite West | sebastianrealestate.ca