Are Pre-Mover Numbers Signaling a Housing Market Comeback in February?

In February, Cleanlist identified 50,648 pre-movers in Canada when compiling listing intent data. This number indicates a 6.6% decrease year over year from February 2024 to February 2025 and an 18.5% increase month over month from January 2024 to February 2025. This month-over-month increase in pre-movers is notable considering last year at this time we saw a 19.6% decrease in pre-movers to begin the year.

Compelling Intent Data from February 2025

• All provinces saw a decrease in pre-movers from February 2024 to February 2025. The provinces with the biggest decreases were Newfoundland (-26.7 %), Saskatchewan (-18.4 %), and Manitoba (-15.4 %).
• Only one province saw a decrease in pre-movers from January 2025 to February 2025: Newfoundland (-13.3%).
• The provinces to see the biggest increase in pre-movers from January 2025 to February 2025 were Alberta (32%), Quebec (25%) and Saskatchewan (23.5%).

Where are pre-mover numbers headed in 2025?

Lower mortgage rates and updated mortgage regulations are projected to give the Canadian housing market a modest recovery in 2025. According to The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), we can expect an 8.6% increase in home sales The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA)with a rise in the average home price. Provincially, Canadian Real Estate Wealth predicts that Alberta and Quebec will lead in sales and price growth, while Ontario and British Columbia are expected to see more subdued recoveries.

Given the above predictions, an increase in home sales will likely cause a rise in pre-mover activity. Considering affordability will play a role in this activity, we are likely to see uneven activity across the country. Pre-mover activity by province will vary depending on the province’s economic conditions and housing market demands.

Why Canadian Home Listing Intent Data Matters to You

Cleanlist tracks Canadian buyer intent data on properties listed for sale or rent daily. We call this list “pre-movers,” representing households with purchase intent that will be ready to buy in the coming months based on these intent signals.?

Marketing and sales teams of consumer-oriented products and services can appreciate the benefit of such data collection. Families planning a move are beginning a large spending cycle that includes everything related to physically moving, financial services, and home improvements like roofing, landscaping, furniture, internet and telecom services, and other related categories.?

Leverage Intent Data to Reach Existing Customers Too

Beyond identifying new customers, real estate listing intent data helps define the ideal customer profile, which may be recognized within a current database. Through account-based marketing, businesses can concentrate resources on existing target accounts and personalize their sales and marketing messaging saving time and resources.

Leverage intent data to create marketing campaigns that engage with these consumers at the beginning of their buying journey for a smart marketing strategy.

About The Data

The data presented in this report was summarized by Cleanlist from ResponseCanadaTM Consumer, Canada’s largest and most up-to-date privacy-friendly consumer database. To learn more about the database or for licensing information, contact [email protected].??

Cleanlist is Canada’s largest customer data company. We clean, enrich, and validate business and consumer data. We’re also experts in data-driven document composition and Canada’s largest data provider for digital and offline marketing. To learn more, visit us at Cleanlist.ca.?