Published 29 September 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty
In August 2026 TRREB recorded 57 detached house sales in Pickering at a median of $990,000 and 45 in Ajax at a median of $935,000. Pickering detached houses sold at 97 percent of list price after 36 days on average; Ajax houses at 99 percent after 27 days. Freehold townhouse medians were $749,000 in Pickering (9 sales) and $762,500 in Ajax (16 sales); semis were $822,000 and $820,000 on very small samples. TRREB’s MLS® Home Price Index benchmark for a typical detached house was $1,074,700 in Pickering, down 3.74 percent from August 2025, and $920,200 in Ajax, down 4.25 percent. Prices are lower than a year ago, but by less than the TRREB average. Your lot, basement, condition and street decide where your own house lands, so price it from recent comparable sales.
Pickering and Ajax house prices, August 2026
| August 2026 | Area | Sales | Median price | Average price | Sale to list | Avg. days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | Pickering | 57 | $990,000 | $1,165,883 | 97% | 36 |
| Detached | Ajax | 45 | $935,000 | $968,031 | 99% | 27 |
| Detached | Durham Region | 389 | $860,000 | $915,922 | 98% | 30 |
| Detached | All TRREB areas | 2,399 | $1,100,000 | $1,288,669 | 97% | 33 |
| Semi-detached | Pickering | 11 | $822,000 | $806,617 | 101% | 22 |
| Semi-detached | Ajax | 5 | $820,000 | $790,800 | 100% | 32 |
| Semi-detached | Durham Region | 40 | $719,750 | $697,945 | 101% | 26 |
| Semi-detached | All TRREB areas | 439 | $866,000 | $931,665 | 99% | 28 |
| Freehold townhouse | Pickering | 9 | $749,000 | $760,888 | 100% | 17 |
| Freehold townhouse | Ajax | 16 | $762,500 | $755,969 | 100% | 31 |
| Freehold townhouse | Durham Region | 71 | $722,000 | $730,585 | 100% | 31 |
| Freehold townhouse | All TRREB areas | 437 | $840,000 | $882,060 | 98% | 31 |
Source: TRREB Market Watch, August 2026, detached, semi-detached and att/row/townhouse (freehold) tables. TRREB reports Pickering and Ajax as two separate municipalities in Durham Region; I show them side by side because many buyers shop both. One month of data, so read it as a snapshot. Small samples: Pickering had 11 semi and 9 townhouse sales, Ajax 5 semi and 16 townhouse sales. Those rows describe a handful of houses, not a trend.
Together, the two towns had 102 detached sales at an average of about $1,078,595 (my arithmetic from TRREB’s dollar volume; a combined median cannot be calculated from the published table). Both detached medians sat above Durham Region’s $860,000 and below the $1,100,000 median across all TRREB areas.
Are Pickering and Ajax house prices going down? The benchmark
The monthly median depends on which houses sold. The MLS® Home Price Index benchmark is steadier: it is TRREB’s model price for a “typical” home with set features, not an actual sale.
| HPI benchmark, August 2026 | Pickering | Ajax | Durham Region | All TRREB areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composite (all home types) | $873,200 (−3.63%) | $838,800 (−4.55%) | $811,000 (−4.62%) | $925,900 (−4.46%) |
| Single-family detached | $1,074,700 (−3.74%) | $920,200 (−4.25%) | $889,700 (−4.39%) | $1,209,600 (−4.50%) |
| Single-family attached | $791,400 (−3.09%) | $757,600 (−4.14%) | $702,300 (−4.15%) | $919,000 (−4.40%) |
Change is year over year, against August 2025. Source: TRREB Market Watch, August 2026, MLS® HPI table (Pickering figures read from the published PDF).
Prices are lower than a year ago in both towns, but Pickering held up better than Durham Region and the TRREB average, with its detached benchmark down 3.74 percent. Ajax detached was down 4.25 percent, close to the region. Pickering’s detached benchmark ($1,074,700) sits above its August median ($990,000); the benchmark is a modelled typical house and the median is the middle of 57 real sales, so they will not match. For the wider outlook, see will Toronto house prices drop in 2027.
What the numbers mean for your list price
- Months of inventory. Pickering had 215 detached houses for sale against 57 sales, about 3.8 months of supply; Ajax had 187 against 45, about 4.2 months (my arithmetic: active listings divided by sales). Durham Region was at about 4.3 months and all TRREB areas at about 4.7.
- Sales to new listings. About 48 percent of new detached listings sold in Pickering and about 38 percent in Ajax (my arithmetic), against about 40 percent in Durham.
- Sale to list and days on market. Ajax detached houses sold at 99 percent of list after 27 days; Pickering at 97 percent after 36 days.
- Townhouses. Ajax had about 2.5 months of freehold town supply; Pickering about 7.0 months, but on only 9 sales, so that figure can swing sharply month to month.
In plain terms: both towns were balanced for detached houses in August. Houses priced from current comparables sold close to asking; the sale-to-list ratio only counts houses that sold, against their final, often reduced, list price.
Watch Pickering’s average. At $1,165,883 it was $175,883 above the median (my arithmetic), a much bigger gap than Ajax’s $33,031. A few high-priced sales, such as larger lots or custom houses, pulled it up. For a typical house, anchor to the median, not the average. On timing, see how long it takes to sell a house in 2026.
How TRREB reports Pickering and Ajax
TRREB has no lettered districts in Durham Region, so each town is one row that blends several markets:
- South Pickering. Established neighbourhoods such as Liverpool, Amberlea, Rosebank and the streets near Frenchman’s Bay and the waterfront, with houses from several decades.
- North Pickering. Newer communities such as Duffin Heights and Seaton, with newer detached houses and freehold towns, plus rural and hamlet properties further north that have few true comparables.
- South Ajax. Neighbourhoods closer to Lake Ontario and the waterfront trail, with a mix of older and newer houses.
- Central and north Ajax. The historic Pickering Village area (which is in Ajax, despite the name) and the newer subdivisions in the northwest and northeast, where much of the freehold town stock sits.
The monthly Market Watch publishes no community rows for either town, so none is quoted here.
What moves your house above or below the median
- Lot frontage and depth. A wider or deeper lot, a pie lot or a ravine backing puts a house above same-size houses on standard lots. Rural lots in north Pickering are a different market altogether. See how lot size and frontage change value.
- Detached, semi or townhouse. Detached medians were $990,000 in Pickering and $935,000 in Ajax; freehold towns $749,000 and $762,500. Semi medians rest on very few sales.
- Basement. A finished basement helps, a separate entrance helps more, and a second unit that has been permitted and inspected by the town is worth more to more buyers than one that was never approved.
- Garage and parking. A double garage and room for several cars matter in commuter towns where many households drive.
- Renovation level. Updated kitchens, bathrooms and flooring shorten days on market. Dated houses sell to buyers who price in the work.
- Street and sub-area. A quiet crescent is not the same as a lot backing onto Highway 401, Kingston Road or a busy arterial road.
- Schools. Families check school boundaries first. Confirm the current boundary for your address with the school board.
- Transit and highways. Walking or short driving distance to Pickering GO or Ajax GO on the Lakeshore East line, and quick access to Highways 401 and 407, widen your buyer pool, especially among Toronto commuters.
- Age and big-ticket systems. Roof, windows, furnace and air conditioning, electrical panel and plumbing. On older houses in south Pickering and south Ajax, replaced systems with receipts support your price.
No published source puts a reliable dollar value on each of these for Pickering or Ajax, so I do not give one; comparable sales measure them. Before spending on upgrades, test them in the renovation ROI calculator.
The land transfer tax point
Durham Region has no municipal land transfer tax, so Pickering and Ajax buyers pay only the Ontario tax. At Pickering’s $990,000 detached median, that is $16,275; at Ajax’s $935,000 median, $15,175. The same purchases in the City of Toronto would cost $32,550 and $30,350, because Toronto adds a matching municipal tax (my arithmetic from the published brackets, before first-time buyer refunds of up to $4,000 provincially and up to $4,475 in Toronto).
Pickering borders Scarborough, and many buyers compare the two. If yours might, the tax saving is real cash at closing. See what houses are worth in Scarborough, and run any price through the land transfer tax calculator.
How to get an accurate number for your house
The median is a starting line, and your property tax assessment is not your price: MPAC assessments for 2026 taxes are still based on 1 January 2016 values.
Two tools help here: the AI home value estimator below gives you a range for your house in about a minute, and the net proceeds calculator turns any price into what actually lands in your account.
Then get a broker price opinion or a comparative market analysis from the three to six most recent sales of houses like yours, on similar lots in your part of Pickering or Ajax, adjusted for basement, garage, renovation level and condition, and checked against the listings you will compete with. The what did my neighbour sell for page explains how to read nearby sales. If you also own a condo, see what condos are worth in Pickering and Ajax. For the rest of Durham, see what houses are worth in Whitby and Oshawa; for York Region, Markham.
If the house has been your principal residence, the CRA still expects you to report the sale on your tax return even when the gain is fully exempt. Ask your accountant how that applies to you.
I work with sellers across Toronto and the whole GTA, including Durham Region, and I price Pickering and Ajax houses from the sales that actually compete with yours, not a town average. When you have your estimator range, book a call or phone 833-330-1925.
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Frequently asked questions
How much is a detached house worth in Pickering?
In August 2026 TRREB recorded 57 detached sales in Pickering at a median of $990,000 and an average of $1,165,883. The benchmark for a typical Pickering detached house was $1,074,700. The average runs high because of a few expensive sales, so a typical house is better anchored to the median and to recent comparable sales nearby.
How much is a detached house worth in Ajax?
Ajax recorded 45 detached sales in August 2026 at a median of $935,000 and an average of $968,031, selling at 99 percent of list price after 27 days on average. The benchmark for a typical Ajax detached house was $920,200, down 4.25 percent from August 2025. Your lot, basement and condition decide where yours lands.
Are house prices going down in Pickering and Ajax?
Compared with a year ago, yes, but modestly. TRREB’s detached benchmark was down 3.74 percent in Pickering and 4.25 percent in Ajax from August 2025, against 4.50 percent across all TRREB areas. One month of data cannot tell you where prices go next.
Is now a good time to sell my house in Pickering or Ajax?
It depends on your plans, but the detached market was balanced in August 2026: about 3.8 months of supply in Pickering and 4.2 in Ajax (my arithmetic from TRREB’s figures). Houses priced from current comparables sold close to asking; houses priced from 2025 sales tend to sit.
What is the average price of a semi-detached house in Pickering or Ajax?
In August 2026 Pickering’s 11 semi-detached sales averaged $806,617 (median $822,000) and Ajax’s 5 averaged $790,800 (median $820,000). Those are small samples. The attached-house benchmark was $791,400 in Pickering and $757,600 in Ajax, a steadier guide.
Sources
- TRREB — Market Watch, August 2026 — detached, semi-detached and freehold townhouse tables, and the MLS HPI benchmark
- Government of Ontario — Calculating land transfer tax — provincial brackets
- Government of Ontario — Land transfer tax refunds for first-time homebuyers — up to $4,000
- City of Toronto — Municipal Land Transfer Tax rates and fees — Toronto only
- MPAC — Assessment cycle — 2026 taxes still based on 1 January 2016 values
- CRA — Reporting the sale of your principal residence — report the sale even when fully exempt
Related reading
- How much is my house worth in Whitby or Oshawa?
- How much is my house worth in Scarborough?
- How much is my house worth in Markham?
- How much is my condo worth in Pickering or Ajax?
- Choosing a realtor in Pickering
- Choosing a realtor in Ajax
- What is my home worth in Toronto and the GTA?
- What is a comparative market analysis (CMA)?
About the author — Jatin Dua, Toronto and GTA real estate broker
I am Jatin Dua, Broker of Record and co-founder of RE/MAX Quantum Realty Inc., Brokerage, Unit 101, 799 The Queensway, Toronto. I work with buyers and sellers across Toronto and the GTA and have helped more than 100 families sell. Four-plus years of active GTA transactions and over $100 million in sales volume. Every figure here comes from a published table, regulator or statute linked in the sources, so you can check all of it without asking me.
Reach me at connect@jatindua.com or 833-330-1925, or book a call.