After some iffy years, the real estate market at Big White Ski Resort is bouncing back.
The most dramatic is the median selling price of a condominium, which jumped 15.3% from $413,000 to $476,000 in the first nine months of this year.
That price could pop another 7% in 2026 taking it to $509,320.
Over the same period, the median selling price of a single-family home, aka chalet, gained 5.4% to $1,592,000.
The prediction is that could escalate another 7% next year to hit $1.7 million.
Compare those prices to nearby Kelowna where the benchmark prices in October were $489,500 for a condo and $1,042,900 for a single-family home.
"There are fewer single-family homes at Big White and they tend to be luxurious and have the price tag to go along with it," explained Amanda Cormier, a realtor at Royal LePage Kelowna who has a passion for Big White real estate.
"There are lots of condos at Big White, so they're easier to get into."
From January through October this year, the number of property sales at Big White was 90, compared to 81 over the same time in 2024.
That's not huge volume, but it is an increase and an indication that sales (and prices) are likely to go up during ski season 2025-26.
All this data comes out of Royal LePage's 2025 Winter Recreation Property Report, which tracks trends, sales and prices in 18 ski areas and winter recreation spots in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.
"Activity in the Big White market has fluctuated in recent years, influenced by the pandemic boom and low interest rates and then the subsequent market correction," said Cormier.
"In 2025, however, we're seeing renewed momentum. The recent uptick in sales activity aligns with lower interest rates, which have helped boost buyer confidence and affordability. As rates have come down, more buyers are re-entering the market, leading to higher transaction volumes compared to the past two years."
While interest rates and the state of the economy impact recreational property sales, Cormier pointed out the people that typically buy at ski resorts are generally well off and usually don't need a mortgage.
Buyers at Big White traditionally use the property themselves and may rent out the place when they're not there to help offset the cost of strata fees and taxes.
Also in the mix are investors who may purchase to generate revenue as a short-term rental like Airbnb.
While Kelowna has short-term rental restrictions, Big White does not.
That's helping drive demand at Big White, according to Cormier.
Also driving demand is that Canadians who might have been considering buying a holiday place in the US are now looking closer to home during the elbows-up era and that includes property at ski resorts.
With the $1.6 million price for a chalet and $476,000 for a condo, Big White is in the top third when it comes to most expensive ski resort real estate.
Most pricey is Whistler where a typical chalet will put you back $1.8 million and a condo $528,000.
At Sun Peaks near Kamloops the single-family home cost is $1,662,500 and a condo $422,500.
Canmore, in the Rockies, outside of Calgary, chalets are almost $1,9 million and condos $754,700.
In Ontario's Southern Georgian Bay the median prices are $886,000 and $589,000.
Quebec's well-known Mont-Tremblant is $523,400 and $462,500.
The cheapest in the country are in Quebec, where a single-family home in Mont Grand Fonds can be had for $285,000 and a condo goes for $242,000 in Mont Sainte-Anne.
Thumbnail photos from Realtor.ca
