The Greater Vancouver housing market is shifting towards a buyers' market due to rising property listings and fewer sales, with September 2011 recording 2,246 residential property sales, a slight increase from the previous year but among the lowest totals in a decade. New listings surged to 5,680, marking a 20.1% increase from September 2010. The benchmark price for residential properties rose to $627,994, reflecting an 8.8% increase year-over-year, although it shows a slight decline from the peak in June 2011.