Sectors / neighbourhoods
Calculate for St. John's: buy or sell
By profession
The St. John's real estate market — Sep 2026
| Indicator | Value | 1-year change |
|---|---|---|
| Reference price (Sep 2026) | $421,800 | +6.8% |
St. John's is North America's oldest European-founded city and the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, a harbour town of painted row houses built into steep hills on the Avalon Peninsula. It remains one of the more affordable provincial capitals in the country.
In September 2026, the MLS® benchmark price in St. John's stood at $421,800, up 6.8% year over year. Source: NLAR / CREA (MLS HPI), September 2026.
The market figures for St. John's cover the census metropolitan area, which takes in Mount Pearl, Paradise, Conception Bay South and other surrounding communities as well as the city itself; no city-only breakdown is published. The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of REALTORS® publishes absolute sales counts, average prices and inventory at the provincial level only, and Payotte does not present a provincial figure as though it described the capital. For inventory, days on market or a neighbourhood-level read, a local professional working from current board data is the right source.
How Payotte selects
For every sector, Payotte publishes a single professional per profession — the highest-scoring on its 100-point grid (Google reviews 35, experience 30, active provincial licence 15, local presence 15, bonus 5). No paid placement, no ads, no commissions.
Frequently asked questions
Which real estate professionals does Payotte recommend in St. John's?
In St. John's, Payotte selects one independent professional per trade, scored on public data — Google reviews, years of experience, an active or verifiable licence on the regulator's register, and a genuine local presence — with no ads, no commissions and no paid placement. Only one expert is named per profession, so the recommendation stays clear. In Newfoundland and Labrador, a real estate lawyer — not a notary — closes the transaction, and home inspection is not provincially regulated, so verify an inspector's association membership (CAHPI or InterNACHI) rather than a licence number. On closing, Newfoundland and Labrador charges a modest deed-registration fee rather than a percentage land transfer tax, so closing costs run lower than in most provinces, alongside legal fees and the inspection and appraisal you arrange. The right professional for each step protects a six-figure decision more than any single star rating. Current selections: Real Estate Broker — Jerry Boyles; Mortgage Broker — Sandra Price; Home Inspector — Ed & Edward Mercer; Real Estate Lawyer — Rogers Rogers Moyse & Conway; Certified Appraiser — being finalized.
How much does a home cost in St. John's in 2026?
In September 2026, the MLS® benchmark price in St. John's stood at $421,800, up 6.8% year over year. Source: NLAR / CREA (MLS HPI), September 2026.
Are St. John's home prices rising in 2026?
In September 2026, the MLS® benchmark price in St. John's stood at $421,800, up 6.8% year over year. Source: NLAR / CREA (MLS HPI), September 2026.
Is St. John's a buyer's or seller's market in 2026?
Months of inventory — the figure used to call a buyer's or seller's market — is not available for St. John's (September 2026), so Payotte does not call it either way rather than guess. In September 2026, the MLS® benchmark price in St. John's stood at $421,800, up 6.8% year over year. Source: NLAR / CREA (MLS HPI), September 2026.
Why are some housing figures for St. John's only available province-wide?
Because the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of REALTORS® publishes absolute sales counts, average prices and inventory for Newfoundland and Labrador as a whole, not for the capital. Rather than let a provincial number stand in for a city one, Payotte leaves those figures out; a local professional working from current board data can fill in inventory and days on market.
Do these figures cover the city or the wider area?
The census metropolitan area, which takes in Mount Pearl, Paradise, Conception Bay South and other surrounding communities as well as the city itself. No city-only breakdown is published.
How much tax do you pay when you sell a home in St. John's?
Usually none if it is your principal residence: the Canada Revenue Agency's principal residence exemption wipes out the capital gain for each year the home is designated, though the sale must still be reported. For another property (cottage, rental), half the gain is added to taxable income (1/2 inclusion rate, CRA guide T4037) and taxed at your marginal rate. Example at St. John's's reference price ($421,800): bought for $321,800, the home shows a gain of $100,000: $0 taxable if it is your principal residence; otherwise $50,000 of taxable amount is added to your income (the resulting tax depends on your marginal rate, not computed here). The land transfer tax is paid by the buyer, not the seller; the agent's commission is negotiated, and no official schedule sets it.
Source : NLAR / CREA (MLS HPI) · St. John’s (RMR) · 2026-09 — figures updated with each board release.
Property assessment in St. John's
Assessor: The Municipal Assessment Agency (MAA) assesses every municipality except the City of St. John’s, which has its own Assessment Division.. To appeal: 60 days from the date of the assessment notice; the exact deadline is on the notice (Box 3 on an MAA notice). Late appeals are not accepted.
Property assessment in Newfoundland and LabradorHow to appeal: the guide
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