The number of sales in the Estevan real estate market is already well higher in 2021 than it was for all of 2020.

Coldwell Banker realtor Josh LeBlanc said there have been 131 sales for 2021 through to the end of August, compared to 86 in all of 2020. That's an increase of 52 per cent.

The average sale prices - both median and mean - are down compared to in 2020.

"We're seeing lots of sales happen, but we aren't seeing the increase in the rise in prices that people are hoping for," said LeBlanc.

The $180,000 to $250,000 price range is most active, fuelled by a lot of first-time homebuyers making purchases, according to LeBlanc.

But there's a lack of inventory for houses that are a little more expensive.

"We have a huge shortage of houses right now between the $300,000 and $400,000 range," LeBlanc said. "What we're seeing is a lot of people, especially first-time buyers, kind of skip that first-time, 900-to-1,000-square-foot bungalow. And because the prices of a 1980, 1990, 2000 homes are starting to come into that $300,000 to $400,000 range are just starting to jump into those, interest rates are definitely helping with that."

LeBlanc said the average sale price, as of the end of August, was down 35 per cent compared to the same eight months in 2020. He said the median sale price has gone up 2.72 per cent.

He chalked up the area avoiding skyrocketing housing prices to the economy's reliance on natural resources.

"The biggest reason that we've avoided the skyrocketing increases that we've seen in Toronto and Vancouver and those areas is obviously our economy is a little different. We're much more resource-based, so there's some instability, and some economic uncertainty happening within those areas."

Despite coal jobs becoming fewer and the oilfield not as busy as it was during the boom, a number of people are moving to Estevan for other opportunities.

"We've seen quite a few people come from Alberta, I'm working with someone from B.C. We've seen a mixture of professionals - lawyers, accountants, doctors - those types of individuals are moving into the community. As are tradespeople. There's lots of opportunity still. It might not be hugely in the coal and the oil world, but we're definitely seeing a lot of tradespeople move in who are starting to find work through an increased busier economy as well."

LeBlanc has a positive outlook as the calendar is getting closer to flip to the new year.

"I'm super excited for 2022. I think we are going to finish off this last quarter fairly strong, and I think you're going to see a strong start in the first quarter of 2022 as well. If not, definitely the second quarter."