Is Brighouse in Richmond a good place to buy a first condo?
Yes, for most first-time buyers looking at a 2 bedroom. Between March 14 and August 18, 2026, 2 bedroom condos in Brighouse sold for a median $651,000, about $57,000 less than in Metrotown or Brentwood Park, for a slightly bigger unit. You're also buying in a slow market, with room to negotiate. The trade-offs are higher strata fees and a slower resale.
How much does a 2 bedroom condo cost in Brighouse?
These numbers cover 2 bedroom condos built in 2006 or later that sold for $800,000 or less.
Across 66 firm sales in Brighouse:
Median sold price: $651,000
Median size: 844 sq ft, at $764 per sq ft
Median strata fee: $551 a month
Median days on market: 74, counting relists
31 of the 66 sold for under $650,000
For a concrete building, the median was $675,000, at $788 per square foot. 52 of the 66 sales were concrete.
If you're weighing a 1 bedroom instead, I covered Brighouse condo prices by bedroom count earlier this month.
How does Brighouse compare with Metrotown and Brentwood?
Brighouse is the cheapest of the three, and the units are bigger.
Over the same stretch, the median 2 bedroom in this range sold for $708,000 in both Metrotown and Brentwood Park. Brighouse was $651,000. Per square foot, the gap is wider: $764 in Brighouse against $896 in Metrotown and $868 in Brentwood Park.
Concrete to concrete, a Brighouse 2 bedroom sold for $788 per square foot. Metrotown was $931 and Brentwood Park was $876. On an 800 square foot unit, that's roughly $114,000 less than Metrotown and $70,000 less than Brentwood Park.
I compared the two Burnaby areas head to head in Metrotown vs Brentwood.
Is it a buyer's market in Brighouse right now?
My read is yes. It's the slowest of the three areas.
From April through July, Brighouse averaged about 13 or 14 firm sales a month in this range. On September 14, 2026, there were 96 active listings. That works out to about 7 months of inventory. Metrotown was closer to 4 or 5 months and Brentwood Park 5 or 6.
The individual listings show it too. 54 of the 66 Brighouse units sold below their original asking price, and the median sold for about 96% of its final list price. Listings still for sale on September 14 had been up for a median 74 days, and about 105 days counting earlier listings of the same unit.
A listing that's been sitting that long gives you room to ask for a lower price, a longer subject period, or both.
What's it like to live in Brighouse without a car?
Brighouse is in Richmond's city centre, and the Canada Line ends there at Richmond–Brighouse station.
TransLink's timetable puts the ride from Richmond–Brighouse to Waterfront at about 27 minutes. Trains from Richmond–Brighouse run about every 6 minutes at peak hours. To reach YVR, you change at Bridgeport.
If you work downtown, along Cambie, or at the airport, you may be able to live here without a car. That money can go toward the higher strata fee.
What are the downsides of buying in Brighouse?
Strata fees run higher. The median 2 bedroom fee was $551 a month, against $425 in Metrotown and $495 in Brentwood Park. That's about $1,500 a year more than Metrotown, and lenders count strata fees when they work out what you can borrow. Fees ranged from $358 to $712, so check the specific building.
Resale will likely be slow too. The same inventory that helps you negotiate now works against you if you have to sell in 2 or 3 years. I'd buy in Brighouse with a plan to stay 5 years or more.
The cheapest listings are often older. On September 22, 2026, 22 of the 132 active Brighouse 2 bedroom listings asking $499,000 to $800,000 were built before 2000. Their median asking price was $574,000, against $698,000 for units built in 2006 or later.
Most of the 1990s listings were concrete. 5 were wood-frame buildings from the 1980s, and wood-frame buildings from the mid-1980s through the late 1990s are the ones most tied to leaky condos. Before you buy one, read whether a leaky condo is still a risk and ask for the depreciation report.
So who should buy a first condo in Brighouse?
Brighouse makes the most sense if you want a 2 bedroom under $700,000, you commute along the Canada Line, and you plan to stay at least 5 years.
It makes less sense if your monthly budget is tight, because of the strata fees, or if you think you'll move within a couple of years.
For a buyer who fits, I'd take Brighouse over Metrotown or Brentwood Park at these prices.
What do you need to bring to a $651,000 purchase?
Minimum down payment: $40,100. That's 5% of the first $500,000 plus 10% of the remaining $151,000.
Property transfer tax: $3,020 if you qualify as a first-time buyer. The full tax on $651,000 is $11,020. The first-time buyer exemption covers the tax on the first $500,000, which saves $8,000 on any purchase between $500,000 and $835,000.
For the income side, see how much you need to earn to buy a condo in Metro Vancouver.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brighouse cheaper than Metrotown?
Yes. 2 bedroom condos built in 2006 or later sold for a median $651,000 in Brighouse between March 14 and August 18, 2026, against $708,000 in Metrotown. Per square foot it was $764 in Brighouse and $896 in Metrotown.
Are strata fees high in Brighouse?
Higher than in Burnaby's main condo areas. The median 2 bedroom fee was $551 a month in Brighouse, compared with $425 in Metrotown and $495 in Brentwood Park. Individual buildings ranged from $358 to $712.
How long do condos take to sell in Brighouse?
The median 2 bedroom took 74 days to sell between March 14 and August 18, 2026, counting relists. On September 14 there were about 7 months of inventory, the slowest of Brighouse, Metrotown and Brentwood Park.
How long is the Canada Line ride from Brighouse to downtown?
About 27 minutes from Richmond–Brighouse station to Waterfront, based on TransLink's timetable. Trains from Richmond–Brighouse run about every 6 minutes at peak hours.
Is Brighouse a good investment for a first-time buyer?
For a buyer who plans to stay 5 years or more, I think it's a sound purchase at today's prices. If you might sell within 2 or 3 years, the slow market is a real risk.
Barton Lui is a REALTOR® with Real Broker in Vancouver. He works mostly with first-time buyers across Metro Vancouver and speaks English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
Thinking about Richmond for your first place? Book a consultation.
Reach him at 604-715-5568 or barton@bartonrealtor.com.
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