Introducing StrataStats: Strata and Condo Benchmarks for British Columbia and Alberta
Buying a strata or condo property is not just about the unit itself. The building matters.
A condo can look great on the surface, but the real story is often inside the strata documents: the reserve fund, special levies, insurance deductibles, water history, bylaws, EV charging rules, and long-term maintenance planning. The challenge is that most buyers, and even many realtors, do not have an easy way to know what is “normal” for a building in a specific area.
That is why we created StrataStats.
StrataStats is a new data product from StrataReports that helps buyers, owners, and real estate professionals compare strata and condo buildings against local benchmarks. It is currently available in British Columbia and Alberta, with area-level statistics for cities, neighborhoods, MLS boards, and regional districts.
Instead of looking at one building in isolation, StrataStats helps you understand how that building compares to others nearby.
What is StrataStats?
StrataStats is a collection of local strata and condo statistics built from real building document data.
It shows benchmarks for things like:
Contingency reserve fund balances
Special levy frequency and typical levy amounts
Insurance deductibles
Water damage and leak history
Building age and profile
EV charging readiness
Pet, rental, BBQ, and lifestyle rules
Maintenance and upgrade trends
For example, a local StrataStats page can help answer questions like:
“Is this reserve fund typical for the area?”
“How common are special levies in this city?”
“What is a normal water deductible for buildings nearby?”
“Are short-term rental restrictions common here?”
“How prepared are buildings in this area for EV charging?”
A sample Vancouver page, for example, shows local benchmarks for reserve funds, special levies, insurance deductibles, water incidents, bylaws, EV readiness, and methodology notes.
Why local benchmarks matter
Strata documents are full of numbers, but numbers are hard to interpret without context.
A reserve fund balance might look low at first glance, but it could be normal for that building age, or it could reflect recent major work. A special levy might sound negative, but it may also show that the strata is actively addressing a problem instead of ignoring it. A high insurance deductible may be concerning, but the right question is whether it is unusual compared with similar buildings in the same market.
That is where StrataStats helps.
It gives you a starting point before you make decisions. You can compare a building’s numbers against local patterns instead of relying only on instinct or generic advice.
Where StrataStats is available
StrataStats is currently focused on British Columbia and Alberta.
In British Columbia, we cover areas such as:
In Alberta, we currently focus on major condo markets such as:
Each area page is designed to help users understand the local market before reviewing a specific building.
How buyers can use StrataStats
For buyers, StrataStats is a way to get oriented before going deep into the documents.
Before buying a condo or strata property, you can use StrataStats to understand the normal range for key building issues in that area. Then, when you receive the actual strata documents, you can compare the building’s specific numbers against local benchmarks.
For example, you can look at:
Reserve fund health
Compare the building’s contingency reserve fund per unit against local benchmarks.
Special levy history
See how common levies are in the area and what typical levy amounts look like.
Insurance deductibles
Understand whether water, sewer, flood, or earthquake deductibles are in line with nearby buildings.
Water and repair patterns
Compare water incident frequency and repair trends across similar buildings.
Lifestyle rules
Check whether restrictions on pets, rentals, BBQs, or short-term rentals are common in the area.
EV readiness
See how prepared buildings in the area are for electric vehicle charging.
StrataStats does not replace document review. It gives you the context you need before reviewing the building itself.
How realtors can use StrataStats
For realtors, StrataStats can be used as a practical education and advisory tool.
When helping a buyer review a property, realtors can use local benchmarks to explain building documents more clearly. Instead of saying “this seems high” or “this seems low,” they can compare the building to actual local data.
This makes conversations more grounded.
A realtor can use StrataStats to help clients understand:
Whether a reserve fund is typical for the area
Whether a special levy history is unusual
Whether insurance deductibles are common for that market
Whether the building’s bylaws are more restrictive or more flexible than nearby buildings
Whether EV readiness is ahead of or behind the local market
For listing agents, StrataStats can also help frame building features with better context. A building with strong reserves, reasonable deductibles, completed upgrades, or flexible bylaws can be explained more clearly when compared against local benchmarks.
What StrataStats does not do
StrataStats is not a replacement for professional advice, legal review, insurance advice, or a full strata document review.
It also does not tell you whether to buy or avoid a property.
Instead, it gives you a better starting point. It helps you ask better questions, spot areas that deserve more attention, and understand whether a building’s numbers are typical for the local market.
Every building still needs to be reviewed on its own. The documents matter.
When to use StrataReports instead
StrataStats helps you understand the market.
StrataReports helps you understand the specific building.
Once you have the building’s document package, a StrataReport can break down the key financials, risks, bylaws, maintenance history, insurance details, and important buyer questions into one clear report.
Use StrataStats when you want local context.
Use StrataReports when you want building-specific answers.
Together, they give buyers and realtors a much clearer view of what they are buying into.
Start exploring StrataStats
StrataStats is now available for selected markets in British Columbia and Alberta.
You can start with the main StrataStats directory, or explore local pages such as Vancouver strata statistics, Burnaby strata statistics, Calgary condo statistics, and Edmonton condo statistics.
Whether you are buying, advising a client, or trying to understand a local condo market, StrataStats helps turn complicated strata data into practical benchmarks you can actually use.