You have a condo and are thinking of moving: should you sell before buying?

You own a condo and are considering moving: should you sell before buying?

The real estate market is changing. Not abruptly, and certainly not in the same way across all areas, but some signs are beginning to appear.

In Quebec City, the market remains favorable to sellers. However, on the condo side, I think it becomes particularly important to monitor the evolution of supply, the time on market, and especially buyer behavior.

Why?

Because when you already own a condo and want to relocate, the order in which you complete the different steps of your project can make a huge difference.

Should you buy your next property before selling? Sell first? Or even consider a temporary rental?

There isn’t a single right answer.

The market hasn’t flipped… but it’s changing

First, avoid drawing a too-quick conclusion: we are not currently facing a collapse of the Quebec real estate market.

The Quebec market remains robust and conditions generally favor sellers.

However, at the provincial level, data from the second quarter of 2026 clearly show a gradual return of supply. Listings in effect have risen substantially, and the increase has been most pronounced on the condo side. Concurrently, condo price growth has slowed considerably.

Quebec remains a particularly tight market. In spring 2026, APCIQ nonetheless noted an increase in supply and a decline in sales, while also noting that the market remained strongly in sellers’ favor.

In other words, it isn’t necessarily the market that has completely changed. It may be the level of certainty we were accustomed to that is starting to change.

And when you plan two transactions rather than one, this nuance becomes important.

“I’ll buy first, my condo will sell easily”

In a market extremely favorable to sellers, this reasoning could seem fairly logical.

We would find the next property, buy it, and then put the condo up for sale with a good degree of confidence in the outcome.

But this strategy always carries a risk.

If your next purchase hinges on the assumption that your condo will sell quickly for 400,000 $, for example, what happens if it ultimately sells for 385,000 $?

Or if it takes two or three months longer than planned to sell?

Or if several comparable condos come onto the market at the same time?

The danger isn’t necessarily that your condo won’t sell. The danger is planning your next purchase as if it will necessarily sell as quickly and as expensively as you anticipated.

This is an important distinction.

Option 1: sell your condo before buying

Obviously, this strategy generally offers the most financial certainty.

Once the sale is completed, you know:

• your true sale price;
• the equity you will have;
• the amounts available for your next purchase;
• your closing date;
• and, above all, your true financial capacity for what comes next.

You can then shop for your next property with far fewer unknowns.

This strategy, however, has a drawback: you may need to coordinate dates very precisely or find a temporary solution between the two properties.

But in a market that is gradually becoming more nuanced, this constraint may be preferable to the financial risk of buying a new property before selling the old one.

Option 2: buy before selling

Buying first isn’t necessarily a bad strategy.

For some owners, it may even be perfectly logical.

A person with a lot of equity, excellent liquidity, and the financial capacity to temporarily support two properties obviously faces a different level of risk.

The quality of the condo to be sold also matters.

A highly sought-after condo, well located, well maintained, properly priced, and offering some rare features could present a much lower resale risk than a condo competing with several similar units.

That’s why the answer should never be automatic.

Before buying, you must know the realistic selling scenario for what you already own.

And I’m talking about a realistic scenario, not just the price you’d like to get.

Option 3: sell… then rent temporarily

This third option is often overlooked.

Yet I find it particularly interesting in certain relocation projects.

Selling your property to become a tenant for a few months — or even longer — can feel like taking a step back.

I see it more as a strategic transition tool.

Imagine the situation.

Your condo is sold. Your equity is freed. You no longer need to coordinate selling and buying at the same time.

You find a rental apartment or condo that fits your needs and you then give yourself time to search for your next property.

You can visit.

Compare.

Reflect.

And above all, you’re not forced to buy just because a date is approaching.

In some cases, this freedom can be worth a lot.

So, which transaction should come first?

For me, the real question is rather this:

Which transaction can you afford to take a risk on?

Let’s take two homeowners.

The first owns a condo that is nearly fully paid and has substantial equity. They could probably support two properties for a few months without compromising their financial situation.

The second must absolutely obtain a certain amount from the sale of their condo to make the down payment on their next property.

These are two completely different projects.

Even if they own exactly the same type of condo.

To determine the right strategy, you must consider, among other things, the realistic market value of the condo, current competition, its probable time on the market, available equity, borrowing capacity, the possibility of temporarily supporting two properties, and the housing solutions available between the two transactions.

A changing market requires mainly changing our habits

For many years, we got used to hearing about bidding wars, extremely fast sales, and properties receiving multiple purchase offers.

These conditions can create certain reflexes.

But a real estate strategy should always be adapted to today's market, not to the market from two years ago.

Recent data show that the Quebec market is gradually rebalancing. Available properties are more numerous, and condos are one of the segments where this change is particularly noticeable. That doesn’t mean condos aren’t selling anymore. On the contrary. But buyers are gradually getting more choices.

And more choices mean, eventually, more comparison.

More reflection.

And sometimes more negotiation.

Your project may not be to sell your condo

That’s probably the most important point.

When someone tells me:

“François, I’m thinking of selling my condo.”

My first question should almost be:

“Why? What do you want to do afterwards?”

Because selling the condo is probably not the real project.

The project may be to get closer to the children.

To buy something smaller.

To leave the city.

To become a renter.

To reduce expenses.

To travel more.

Or simply to change lifestyle.

The sale of the condo is then just a step to get somewhere else.

And that is precisely why the decision to sell or buy first should not be made in isolation.

You have to build the full path before deciding what the first step will be.

Are you considering relocation?

Even before you put your condo on the market or start seriously researching, it may be helpful to know three things: its current market value, the realistic time to sell you can reasonably expect, and the different options available to you for the next step.

From there, we can build different scenarios: sell before buying, buy before selling, or plan a temporary transition to the rental market.

Because in a changing market, the best project isn’t necessarily the one that moves the fastest. It’s the one that leaves you enough room to make good decisions.