Winter may not be the most popular time to sell, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait until the snow melts to list your property. Often, sellers take their home off the market after the end of October.  However, in this slow, “Buyer’s Market” there is a valid argument for keeping your home on the market over the winter. With the right strategy, your home can stand out in a season where competition is low and buyers are highly motivated to make a move.

Selling a home is all about emotional connection. Most buyers know within minutes whether a house feels right. Your job is to help them feel that connection the moment they step inside.

Here are 7 tips to help you sell your home this winter.

1. Make It Warm and Inviting

Now is not the time to be stingy with the thermostat. If buyers walk in and instantly feel warm and comfortable, it’s easier for them to picture themselves living there. A cozy home leaves a great first impression.

2. Keep Ice and Snow Under Control

Clear sidewalks, steps, and pathways make your home look cared for and keep everyone safe. It also reduces your liability.
If you’ll be away, ask a neighbour to help keep the entry shovelled and sanded, or hire it out.

3. Showcase the Fireplace

If you have a gas fireplace, turn it on for showings—it adds instant warmth and ambiance.
With a wood-burning fireplace, set it up with neat stacks of birch logs.
No fireplace? Consider a simple electric model you can take with you when you move.

Around the holidays, a tasteful garland or stockings can help buyers imagine spending future holidays there.

4. Let There Be Light

Daylight is limited this time of year, so aim for daytime showings whenever possible.
Turn on every light—inside and out—to keep the home bright and welcoming.
Even though outdoor living spaces are harder to showcase in winter, putting in the extra effort matters.

5. Create a Cozy Atmosphere

When buyers step in from the cold, you want them to feel instantly at home.
A soft blanket on the sofa, warm-toned lighting, and a pleasant scent can set the mood.
You don’t need to bake cookies for every showing, but a subtle diffuser or soft music goes a long way.

6. Embrace the Season

Your home is already looking its best during the holidays.
Keep décor simple and inviting—avoid anything too large, flashy, or themed. You want buyers to notice your home, not your entire Grinch collection.

7. Share the Summer Fun

Snow hides a lot of your home’s best exterior features.
If you have photos of your gardens, landscaping, pool, deck, or patio from warmer seasons, include them in your listing and leave a small album out for showings.
It helps buyers picture the home year-round.

Why Sell in Winter?

Winter selling has its perks. The biggest advantage is less competition—there are typically fewer homes for sale, which helps your listing stand out.
And although winter is slower overall, the buyers who are looking tend to be more serious.

From November 2025 through February 2026, more than 633 homes sold in the Kingston area.
In 2026, year-to-date sales are essentially flat, so it’s likely that the same number of homes will sell this Winter.

Thinking About Selling This Winter?

If you're considering making a move, reach out for a free, no-obligation home valuation. We’re here to help you plan your next steps with confidence.

When a conditionally sold property is still accepting offers, that’s called: Sold Conditional Escape.

A few years and hairstyles ago, I did a short video on this with a short explanation. The hair has changed. The question hasn’t. If a property has an accepted offer, why are they still showing it? Rather than the quick explanation linked above, let’s get into the nitty-gritty for a full understanding of the process. 

Here’s the plain-English version of what Sold Conditional Escape means, how the escape clause actually works, and what it means for you whether you’re buying, selling, or you’re the buyer holding the conditional offer.

Sold Conditional (SC) vs. Sold Conditional Escape (SCE)

Both statuses mean the seller has accepted an offer, but the deal isn’t firm yet. The difference is whether the seller is still allowed to look for a better one.

Sold Conditional means the seller has accepted an offer with conditions, such as financing, a home inspection, or a condo status certificate review. The buyer has a set number of days to satisfy or waive those conditions. During that time, the seller generally can’t accept another buyer’s offer.

Sold Conditional Escape means the seller has accepted a conditional offer that includes an escape clause. That clause lets the seller keep the home on the market and keep accepting offers while the first buyer works on their conditions.

The escape clause almost always goes hand in hand with one specific condition: the buyer needs to sell their own home first (called a SBP or Sale of Buyer’s Property - blog on that here. A seller who agrees to wait on someone else’s sale usually wants a way out if a buyer with no strings attached comes along. That’s the escape.

How the Escape Clause Works, Step by Step

Every Agreement of Purchase and Sale is negotiated, so the exact wording and timelines vary. Here’s how it typically plays out in Ontario:

1. Buyer A makes an offer conditional on selling their current home. The seller accepts, with an escape clause written into the agreement.

2. The listing changes to Sold Conditional Escape. The home stays on MLS® and can still be shown.

3. Buyer B comes along and makes an offer. This offer is usually conditional on the first agreement being released.

4. If the seller accepts Buyer B’s offer, they deliver written notice to Buyer A. That notice starts the clock.

5. Buyer A has a set window to decide, often 24 to 72 hours. The exact time is whatever was negotiated in their agreement.

6. Buyer A either waives the condition or steps aside.

   • Waive: Buyer A removes the sale-of-home condition (and, depending on the wording, often any other conditions too). Their deal moves forward, and Buyer B’s offer falls away.

   • Step aside: Buyer A’s agreement becomes void, their deposit is returned, and Buyer B’s offer moves ahead.

In other words, Buyer A gets first dibs, but only if they’re ready to commit when someone else shows up.

Buyers: Should You Make an Offer on an SCE Home?

Yes, if it’s the right home for you. An SCE listing is genuinely available for offers, and some of the best opportunities sit quietly in this status because other buyers assume they’ve missed out.

A few things to keep in mind:

• You’re offering on a home that’s already under agreement. Your offer only comes to life if the first buyer doesn’t waive their condition in time.

• The first buyer may still waive. Sometimes your offer is the push they need to commit. Go in knowing it could end there.

• A clean offer is your strongest tool. The escape clause exists so the seller can trade up to a buyer with fewer conditions. If you also need to sell first, your offer may not give the seller much reason to trigger it.

• Know your numbers before you offer. Have your financing pre-approval in hand and talk to your home inspector early, so you can move quickly if the seller asks.

• Ask your agent to find out what they can. Your REALTOR® can ask the listing agent about the escape timeline and when the first buyer’s condition expires. Some details of the first offer will stay confidential.

If You’re the First Buyer With the Escape Clause

A sale-of-home condition gives you breathing room, but the escape clause means that room can shrink fast. The best time to plan for a notice is before it arrives.

• Talk to your lender now about bridge financing. If you have to waive before your current home sells, a bridge loan can cover the gap between the two closings.

• Price your current home to sell. The sooner it’s firm, the sooner the escape clause no longer matters.

• Position your current home to sell. In the current buyer’s market (October 2026) the homes that sell are move-in ready, and don’t come with a list of fixes or renovations to make

• Know your answer ahead of time. Decide with your agent what you’ll do if notice lands on a Friday night with a 48-hour clock.

• Remember the other conditions. Many escape clauses require you to waive all your conditions, not just the sale of your home, so get your inspection and financing sorted early.

Sellers: Why Accept an Offer With an Escape Clause?

An escape clause lets you say yes to a buyer who needs to sell first, without taking your home off the market. You lock in a buyer and keep the door open for a firmer offer.

It’s a useful tool in a market like ours right now. Inventory is up and days on market have stretched in most communities around Kingston. Many buyers already own a home and need to sell it first. Turning them away can mean waiting longer.

A few trade-offs to weigh with your agent:

• Your home stays on the market, but some buyers skip SCE listings. Clear listing remarks and a well-informed agent help keep showings coming.

• The time window matters. A shorter notice period keeps things moving; a longer one may make your offer more appealing to the first buyer.

• Look at the buyer’s home, too. Is it priced well and in a community that’s selling? Their sale is now part of your timeline.

Quick Answers

What does SCE mean in real estate? SCE stands for Sold Conditional Escape. The seller has accepted a conditional offer but can keep marketing the home and accept other offers under an escape clause.

Can I still buy a house that says Sold Conditional Escape? Yes. You can make an offer, and if the seller accepts it, the first buyer gets a set time to waive their condition. If they don’t, your offer can move forward.

How long does the first buyer have to waive? It’s negotiated in each agreement. In Ontario, 24 to 72 hours is common.

What happens to the first buyer’s deposit if they step aside? Their agreement becomes void and the deposit is typically returned in full. Confirm the exact terms with your agent and real estate lawyer.

Is Sold Conditional the same as Sold Conditional Escape? No. A Sold Conditional home generally isn’t accepting other offers. An SCE home is.

The Bottom Line

If you see SCE on a home you love in Kingston, Loyalist, Napanee, Gananoque, the Frontanacs or anywhere in between, don’t scroll past it. Ask about it.

Whether you’re thinking about an offer on an SCE home, or you need to sell before you buy, we’re happy to walk you through how it would work for you. Reach out and let’s talk.

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We've built an interactive map that shows every French Immersion school in the Kingston area, so families can see at a glance where these programs are before they choose a neighbourhood.

One of the first questions we hear from families relocating to Kingston is "Where are the French Immersion schools?" The answer is spread across two school boards, several program types and a dozen different web pages. Putting it all on one map makes it much easier to compare neighbourhoods with schools in mind.

What's on the map

The map shows 17 schools in Kingston, Amherstview and Napanee, from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Each school has a numbered pin, and the pin's colour and shape tell you what kind of school it is.

On the elementary side, the map includes seven Limestone schools with Early French Immersion and three Catholic schools offering French Immersion from Kindergarten to Grade 8. On the secondary side, it includes Frontenac, Kingston and Napanee District Secondary Schools for public French Immersion, and Holy Cross and Regiopolis-Notre Dame for Catholic Extended French and French Immersion.

How to use the map

1. Tap a pin. The page jumps to that school's card, which lists its name, address and program.

2. Get directions. Each card has an "Open in Google Maps" link for directions or a closer look at the street.

Immersion, Extended French and French-language schools

The map covers three different kinds of French education. They're easy to mix up, and the difference matters when you're choosing a school.

• French Immersion is designed for students whose first language isn't French. Most of the school day is taught in French, especially in the early grades, and the share of English grows as students get older.

• Extended French is also for non-francophone students, but with fewer subjects taught in French than immersion. At the secondary level, it's often the next step for students coming from elementary programs.

• French-language schools are run by separate francophone boards. In Kingston, these are the Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CEPEO), the public board, and the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE), the Catholic board. Everything is taught in French, and admission generally depends on a parent's French-language education rights. Madeleine-de-Roybon (CEPEO) and Marie-Rivier (CECCE) are on the map so families can see them alongside the immersion options. CEPEO's registration page explains how to enrol.

Each board sets its own entry points and rules for joining a program, so check with the board before counting on a spot.

Why it matters when you're buying a home

If French Immersion is on your list, it should shape where you look for a home. Immersion programs are only offered at certain schools, and each of those schools serves its own catchment area. That area is often different from the boundary of the closest English-program school.

Before you write an offer, it's worth checking three things:

• The catchment. Confirm with the board which immersion school serves the address you're considering.

• Transportation. Ask whether busing is provided to the immersion school from that address, especially in rural parts of Frontenac and Loyalist Township.

• Space. Some programs fill up or have set entry grades, such as Kindergarten or Grade 1. Find out when registration opens.

Tri-Board Student Transportation, which handles busing for both the Limestone and Algonquin & Lakeshore boards, makes these checks easier. On its School Information page, choose a board and a school to see that school's details and an interactive map of its boundary. The same site's Which School do I Attend? tool lets you enter a street address and see which school serves it.

Program offerings and boundaries change from year to year. Treat the map as a starting point, and confirm the details with the Limestone District School Board or the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board before you rely on them in a purchase decision. If a specific school is important to you, you can also make the Agreement of Purchase and Sale conditional on confirming it.

Find a home near the right school

If you're planning a move to Kingston and French Immersion matters to your family, we'd be happy to help you narrow the search to the neighbourhoods that fit. We know these communities, from Amherstview to the North End, and we can help you confirm school details before you make an offer.

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Did the fall market come back?

Short answer: sellers did, buyers partly did, and homes are taking longer to sell. That's the September 2026 story across Kingston and the surrounding area.

You might have noticed there was no August update. Honestly, August went so fast it got away from us. We spent the month getting listings ready for the fall market, and it was gone before we knew it.

So this post starts with a quick look back at August across the whole Kingston and Area Association of REALTORS® (KAREA) board. Then it goes community by community through September: Kingston, Loyalist Township, Greater Napanee, South Frontenac, Stone Mills and Gananoque. It wraps up with what the big fall outlook reports are saying, and what it all means if you're buying or selling.

Prefer to watch?

August recap: plenty of sellers, steady prices

August sales across the KAREA board were flat, but supply hit a 10-year high for the month.

To put that in perspective, there are about four times as many homes for sale now as there were in August 2021, at the height of the pandemic market (+302.6%).

Prices, meanwhile, are holding steady. KAREA's president described our market as sitting somewhere between buyer's and balanced territory. So that's where we left the summer: plenty of sellers, steady prices, and buyers taking their time.

KAREA hadn't released board-wide September numbers when we put this update together, so September is covered community by community below.

Interest rates: a hold in September, a question mark for October

The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25 per cent on September 2, its seventh decision in a row with no change (Bank of Canada).

Two things from that announcement matter for housing:

•      Bond yields are up. The Bank pointed out that long-term bond yields have moved up, including here in Canada. Fixed mortgage rates tend to follow bond yields, so even when the Bank sits still, fixed rates don't automatically get cheaper.

•      Inflation risk is higher. The Bank said the risks of higher inflation have increased, with energy prices still elevated and new tariffs between Canada and the U.S.

That has people talking about the next announcement on October 28. In mid-September, markets were treating an October hike as close to a coin flip, a big change from early September, when they were pricing in a 94 per cent chance of a hold (BNN Bloomberg). To be fair, several bank economists, including at RBC and Desjardins, still expect the Bank to hold for the rest of this year. But a rate increase is very much back on the table.

What this means for first-time buyers

If you've been waiting for rates to come down, that may not be the direction we're heading. This could be a good time to get pre-approved and lock in a rate. Most lenders will hold a rate for 90 to 120 days, which protects you if rates go up while you're shopping (Money.ca). Terms vary, so ask your lender or mortgage broker what they offer.

And remember, this is a buyer's market. You've got more homes to choose from than we've seen in years, and room to negotiate.

Kingston real estate: sellers showed up

Kingston, our biggest market, gives the clearest answer: new listings jumped more than 30 per cent from August, but sales didn't keep pace.

That's 86 more new listings than August, so sellers did come back after the summer. Baked into that number, though, are sellers who cancelled and relisted to get fresh eyes on their homes.

Buyers didn't keep pace, which works out to more than three new listings for every home that sold. Prices softened a little: the median is down about 1 per cent from a year ago, and the year-to-date average is basically flat, up 0.3 per cent. No big repricing, just a slow drift.

Where you really see the shift is at the negotiating table. Nearly 88 per cent of sales closed below list price, and only 8 per cent sold over asking, down from 11.5 per cent last September. We also saw 151 listings terminated in September, up from 118 in August: sellers pulling their homes without a sale.

Loyalist Township real estate: buyers came back here

Loyalist is where the fall market looks most like a comeback, with sales up more than 50 per cent from last September.

Total dollar volume was up almost 33 per cent from a year ago.

Why is the average price down 13 per cent?

Don't read too much into that headline. The median price, which is the middle sale, is actually up almost 3 per cent. Last September included some higher-priced sales that pulled the average up, so this is about which homes sold, not a drop in values. Year to date, both the average and median are within 2 per cent of last year.

It's also worth remembering that a large part of Loyalist home sales are new builds, and that 13 per cent lines up with Ontario's 13 per cent HST, which no longer applies to new homes (TRREB).

Sellers also did a bit better at the negotiating table: four of the 23 sales went over list. The trade-off is time. Buyers are there, but they're taking it.

Greater Napanee real estate: sales bounced back

After a very quiet August with just 15 sales, Greater Napanee came back with 26 in September.

A mix shift, not a 20 per cent drop

The price headline looks alarming, but look at the list prices. The homes that sold were listed about 12 per cent lower on average than a year ago. In other words, more lower-priced homes changed hands this month; homeowners aren't suddenly taking 20 per cent less.

In fact, sellers did better relative to asking, and four homes sold over list. For a more honest read, look at year to date: the median is down 5 per cent. So there is some real softening in Napanee, just nowhere near what the September headline suggests.

South Frontenac real estate: fewer sales, faster sales

South Frontenac is a split picture: sales were down sharply, but the homes that sold went quickly. It's a small sample of 18 sales, so year to date matters here too.

That's more than four new listings for every sale. But median days on market dropped to 28, which tells me well-priced homes in South Frontenac are still moving.

The September median is up about 7 per cent, but again, that's a small group of sales. Year to date, the median is down 5.5 per cent, and terminations are up over 22 per cent. A lot of sellers who aren't priced to the market are pulling their listings.

Stone Mills real estate: the year-to-date view

Stone Mills is a small market, with 16 sales in September, so year-to-date figures give the truer picture: fewer sales, more listings and slightly lower median prices.

One or two unusual sales can swing the monthly numbers wildly. In August, for example, the average price was $913,000 while the median was $425,000. A few higher-priced sales pulled the average way up.

One thing worth flagging for September: 59 new listings came on, compared with 22 in August and 30 last September. That's a big wave of supply for a market this size, so buyers in Stone Mills have more choice heading into the fall.

Gananoque real estate: the year-to-date view

Gananoque is our smallest market, with just eight sales in September. Year to date, prices are holding, but homes are taking longer to sell and more sellers are pulling out.

Terminations have doubled. That's a lot of sellers deciding to come off the market rather than adjust their price.

For what it's worth, all eight September sales closed below asking. It's a small number, but it fits the year-to-date story: buyers in Gananoque have room to negotiate.

So, did the fall market come back?

Sellers came back, buyers came back in some places, and the pace slowed almost everywhere.

What the big reports are saying

RE/MAX Canada released its Fall 2026 Housing Market Outlook on October 7, and Kingston is in it (RE/MAX Canada). Looking at January through July, it found Kingston's average price essentially flat compared with last year, with sales down about 4.5 per cent. It classifies Kingston as a buyer's market and estimates the average price will finish 2026 up about 1 per cent, to around $644,700, with sales down about 3 per cent.

It's not just us, either. Nationally, RE/MAX expects about a third of the markets it tracks (32 per cent) to be firmly in buyers' territory this fall, up from about 15 per cent a year ago. As Don Kottick, president of RE/MAX Canada, put it, the market "has not become easy for buyers, but in many regions, it is allowing for a more deliberate purchasing process." That's exactly what we're seeing locally.

Tips if you're selling

•      Price it right from day one. The homes that sold quickly were priced well. The ones that weren't are sitting, or getting pulled off the market.

•      Expect to negotiate. Most homes across the area are selling below asking.

•      Plan for more time. Days on market is up almost everywhere, and that number only counts the homes that sold.

Tips if you're buying

•      Use your choice. There are more homes for sale than we've seen in years.

•      Negotiate, and keep your conditions. With most homes selling below asking, you have room to include financing and inspection conditions without fighting a bidding war.

•      Lock in a rate. With an October 28 rate hike on the table, ask your lender about a 90 to 120-day rate hold.

Stay informed

Local markets move differently, and the headline numbers don't always tell the full story. If you want to know what this means for your home or your search, reach out anytime at lwrealty.ca or 613-389-7777. We'll cover the Bank of Canada's October 28 decision in next month's update.

Sources

•      KAREA MLS® Market Insights, September 2026 (community figures)

•      KAREA board-wide statistics, August 2026 (CREA)

•      Bank of Canada interest rate announcement, September 2, 2026

•      BNN Bloomberg: Odds of an interest rate hike from Bank of Canada this year have jumped (September 18, 2026)

•      Money.ca: rate holds and the October rate decision (September 23, 2026)

•      RE/MAX Canada: Canadian Housing Market Outlook, Fall 2026 (October 7, 2026)

TRREB: HST elimination for all buyers of new housing