The real test of any fast-track effort is whether more homes actually reach the market, not how quickly a single permit gets stamped. New listings across Saskatoon rose 12.3 percent year over year in the Saskatchewan REALTORS Association's most recent release, which is a better signal of the pipeline loosening than any press release about faster approvals.
Permitting speed mostly affects new construction and infill, the secondary suites and small multi-unit buildings the City of Saskatoon's zoning bylaw now allows in more neighbourhoods. It does very little for the resale market, where the supply that matters is existing owners deciding to list, not builders finishing projects on schedule.
A seller weighing whether to list into a market that's supposedly loosening should look at active listings and months of supply locally, not at a permitting statistic. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.