Every January, BC homeowners receive their BC Assessment notice—and many assume it reflects what their home is worth today. In reality, BC Assessment value and market value are not the same, and understanding the difference is essential when planning your next move.
What Is BC Assessment?
BC Assessment is used for property tax purposes. Values are based on a July 1 valuation date from the previous year and calculated using broad market data, not current buyer demand or property-specific details.
This means the number you receive in January often reflects past market conditions, not today’s market.
Why BC Assessment ≠ Market Value
Market value is determined by what a buyer is willing to pay right now. It is influenced by:
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Current supply and demand
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Recent comparable sales
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Location and micro-market trends
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Property condition, layout, and upgrades
BC Assessment cannot fully account for these factors.
Why This Matters
For Sellers
Pricing a home based on assessed value can result in overpricing or underpricing. Effective pricing must reflect current market conditions, not tax assessments.
For Buyers
A home priced near assessed value is not automatically a good deal. Market value depends on demand, condition, and competition.
For Planning Ahead
Whether refinancing or considering a future sale, understanding true market value provides clearer financial insight.
When BC Assessment Is Useful
BC Assessment can help identify general trends or changes over time, but it should never be used alone to determine a home’s value.
BC Assessment is a helpful reference, but market value is what truly matters when making real estate decisions. A property’s real worth depends on today’s market, not last year’s data.
Want to know your home’s true market value?
If you’re curious how your property compares to recent sales in your area, you can request a complimentary, no-obligation market assessment tailored to your home and neighbourhood here.
Understanding your value is the first step to making confident real estate decisions.
ABOUT ANNA LITVAK JOSEPH
Anna is a licensed REALTOR® based in Greater Vancouver and providing trading real estate services across Metro Vancouver, Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley & Kelowna. Anna has an impressive track record and a wealth of experience in all the aspects of the real estate industry. As a full-time REALTOR®, Anna is dedicated to providing her clients with top-notch service, expert advice, and outstanding results in their real estate transactions. Anna emphasizes the importance of building valuable relationships and ensuring client satisfaction from the initial thoughts of making a move and through the home ownership journey. Her customer-centric approach is fundamental to her business philosophy.
With over 15 years of sales experience & entrepreneurship, Anna brings a high level of professionalism, customer service, and integrity to her real estate career. Anna’s outstanding performance in real estate is underscored by her impressive achievements. She qualified as a Medallion Club Member in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 placing her among the top 10% of real estate agents in Greater Vancouver. Anna has worked hard to gain numerous 5 star testimonials, and is being featured in several publications year over year, including Vancouver Excellence in Real Estate, Top agent Magazines, and more. Anna is also highly ranked in multiple cities across RATE-MY-AGENT.
Anna’s professionalism, expertise and knowledge is the reason why the majority of her business today consists of referral or repeat customers.
About the team: The Anna Litvak Joseph Team at BC Prime Realty is a full-service real estate team that has grown over the years to a trusted brand that provides service to thousands of happy buyers and sellers.
Their dedication has been acknowledged with the prestigious Medallion Club award in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, highlighting their excellence as one of the top 10% teams among real estate groups in Greater Vancouver.
The Anna Litvak Joseph Team values diversity and relationship, therefore they follow client- centric approach, making it stress-free journey throughout their real estate experience.
The Anna Litvak Joseph Team is truly passionate about their mission of deliver excellence in Real Estate by building long term relationships. Their professionalism, expertise and knowledge is the reason why the majority of their business consists of referral or repeat customers.
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