Tri-Cities buyer comparison
Before you commit to Coquitlam, know what trading over a city line actually costs or saves. This is the cross-city read most buyers only figure out after eight weekends of touring.
Your budget is $1.5M or below and you want detached, not executive townhome. Port Moody's entry detached tier starts above Coquitlam's. The catchment premium in Westwood Plateau is comparable to Port Moody Heritage Woods.
You want new-build Burke Mountain inventory, or a SkyTrain-adjacent condo play. PoCo's West Coast Express is good for downtown commuters but not comparable to Evergreen/Millennium Line walkability.
You want trees, Como Lake, Buntzen, and a shorter walk to nature without leaving suburb. Burnaby's lot-per-dollar is worse and the density is denser. Coquitlam detached and Burnaby condo can work in the same family if you need both.
Your job is downtown daily and you're unwilling to SkyTrain. Coquitlam commute to downtown is 45–70 minutes peak. Burnaby North or the East Van fringe will save you an hour per day — money you'd lose in rent premium but gain back in weekends.
Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, September 2026. Property tax rate figures are 2025 municipal rates from each city's finance department. Commute figures are Google Maps peak-hour means, not outliers.
PoCo is the most affordable detached entry-point in the Tri-Cities — confirm with the live filter.
Most buyers comparing the Tri-Cities pick between three or four cities without realizing how different the price ladders, school catchments, and lifestyle each one delivers. Here's the honest read on where your dollar goes further — and what you give up in exchange.
5.0 across 36+ Google reviews Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 47+ years in the Tri-CitiesQuick Answer
What is actually available in Coquitlam right now?
Coquitlam covers four broad inventory pools: detached (Burke Mountain newer builds, Westwood Plateau executive, Central Coquitlam established, Eagle Ridge value-tier), townhomes (Burke and Burquitlam newer stock, central Coquitlam mid-tier), condos (Coquitlam Centre high-rise, Burquitlam transit-adjacent), and luxury ($2M+ Anmore/Westwood/Heritage). Craig Johnston, REALTOR® V99960 — Top 1% Team, Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 — runs daily MLS-filtered alerts customised to your timeline and non-negotiables. Free Strategy Call → written 24-hour plan.
The high-frequency questions I'm asked in almost every first client meeting, answered in 40–60 words each. Longer explanations follow in the sections below.
Per the September 2026 Greater Vancouver REALTORS® release, Coquitlam benchmark prices are: detached $1,584,400, townhouse $976,600, apartment $640,100. September median sale prices ran $1,449,000 / $1,075,000 / $600,000 respectively. Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau and Heritage Mountain command the strongest detached premiums; Burquitlam leads condo activity.
For families with a 5+ year horizon and a realistic pre-approval, Coquitlam remains one of the strongest long-run markets in Greater Vancouver. SkyTrain connectivity, SD43's secondary-school track record, and contained supply support values. The short-term question is whether your specific catchment has inventory right now.
Burke Mountain is newer (mostly 2005–2020 builds), younger families, elementary-heavy. Westwood Plateau is older stock with more architectural variety, lower turnover, and an older demographic. Westwood Plateau typically trades at a premium for comparable size and age. Its secondary schools are Pinetree Secondary or Heritage Woods Secondary, depending on the address.
BC's PTT is 1% on the first $200K, 2% from $200K to $2M, 3% from $2M to $3M, and 5% above $3M on residential. A $1.5M purchase pays about $28,000. First-time home buyers can save up to $8,000 (no PTT on the first $500K of the price) on homes up to $835K, phasing out to zero at $860K (current BC thresholds — verify on the BC government PTT page before relying on for your purchase).
Not frenzied. In September 2026, Coquitlam’s all-property-types sales-to-active ratio was 10.8% (GVR Stats Centre); GVR treats below 12% as buyer-favouring and 12–20% as balanced. Well-priced homes in strong catchments still attract multiple offers in the March–May and September–November windows. Between those windows, single-offer transactions dominate and buyer subjects are usually respected. Market behaviour differs substantially by submarket and price tier.
Well-prepared, correctly-priced detached homes in strong catchments typically sell within the first few weeks. Over-priced or poorly-prepped listings often sit until a price reduction forces a sale. For exact days-on-market in your specific submarket and price tier, ask Craig for the live MLS® pull.
Commission in Coquitlam is negotiable and is typically split between the listing and buyer's agent. The number is negotiable; the service level behind the number is what matters more than the headline percentage.
Westwood Plateau feeds into Scott Creek or Summit Middle, then Pinetree Secondary or Heritage Woods Secondary, depending on the address (confirm with the SD43 School Locator). Port Moody's Heritage Woods Secondary draws from parts of upper Coquitlam. Burke Mountain is served by Terry Fox Secondary, with a new SD43 secondary school under construction on the mountain.
Sources referenced on this page include the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, BCREA, CMHC, the Government of British Columbia, School District 43, and the City of Coquitlam. Last reviewed 2026-04-20.
September 2026 GVR® benchmark prices and sales-to-active ratios. No fabricated metrics — every number sourced from the monthly Greater Vancouver REALTORS® release.
Deeper reads for where you are in the journey.
I have spent the last 47+ years living in Coquitlam, 9+ years on Burke Mountain, helping move-up buyers and sellers get from where they are to where they want to be — without the panic of owning two homes at once or selling under value. I work the Tri-Cities every day: Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Heritage Mountain, and the rest of the Tri-Cities’ move-up neighbourhoods.
If you want a straight read on your timing, pricing, or move-up strategy, the fastest next step is a short call.
Real reviews pulled from Google. No paid placements. No curated-only-positives. Every client below closed with Craig.
“Craig is what everyone hopes they will find in a realtor, yet is so incredibly rare. His foundation of genuine care and generosity with his time is outstanding… We never felt rushed, pressured or stressed by what is fundamentally a rather daunting experience, and it was because he created a dynamic of collaboration and support.”
“Craig extended such patience, excitement and professionalism in helping my husband and I buy a townhouse in Port Coquitlam (my hometown!) so we could continue raising our two girls where I also grew up. When we faced a hurdle getting financing approval because of a lien on our desired townhome, Craig worked tirelessly with our broker to get the lien removed.”
“Craig was a pleasure to work with for the purchase of our home. Craig was very patient as we debated between a condo and a townhome. Craig found us a home that ticked all of our boxes plus some! He made the whole process smooth and enjoyable.”
“We had a fantastic experience working with Craig on the purchase of our first home in Coquitlam. He was incredibly friendly and responsive, always quick to answer our messages and questions. Throughout the process, he took the time to walk us through each step so my partner and I always knew exactly what was going on and what to expect next. Craig also gave us honest, helpful opinions on properties we were considering, which really helped guide us toward a place we love. On top of that, he connected us with a great broker and lawyer, making the whole process feel seamless. We're so happy in our new home and couldn't have done it without him. Highly recommend Craig to anyone buying a home!”
“His creativity, top-notch communication skills, and a solid plan were instrumental in selling high and buying low. His foresight in negotiation, predicting outcomes before they happened, truly set him apart. He's also humble and very respectful.”
“Throughout our journey, Craig demonstrated immense patience and understanding. He went out of his way to provide extra resources and various options to consider on both the buy and sell side.”
“Craig assisted in every aspect of the purchase of my Bowen Island home, including the building inspection, the follow-up inspection, and ensuring deficiencies were repaired. He was thorough and protected my position every step of the way.”
“Craig was patient throughout the entire process. He never pushed us to buy something we weren't sure about, and when we decided to wait six months and save more, he just said ‘good call’ and stayed in touch. When we did finally buy, the math was so much cleaner.”
“He is a professional who is guided by integrity, honesty, and punctuality. When faced with challenges, Craig has shown his dedication to proactively navigate the issue on hand towards our goal.”
More on Coquitlam Market Data
Craig writes the Tri-Cities coverage most REALTORS® won't. Every page below is built on the same ground-truth data and the same negotiation playbook Craig uses for every client.
Continue your research
Master guide
Newport Village, Suter Brook, Brewers Row, the Inlet.
By neighbourhood
Klahanie, Suter Brook, Newport Village, Brewers Row, Heritage Mountain.
Luxury $2M+
Heritage Mountain detached, Suter Brook penthouses, Newport townhomes.
Why PoMo
Walkability, the Inlet, Brewers Row — the structural lifestyle choice.
Tri-Cities monthly
September 2026 Coquitlam detached HPI is $1,584,400, -6.6% YoY. What that means for your buy or sell decision — without the salesy fluff. One email per month. Unsubscribe anytime.
No spam, no listings flood, no marketing automation games. Genuine monthly update from a 47+ year Tri-Cities resident.