The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of home sales in September rose 15.5 per cent compared with a year ago, as sales in the country's big cities climbed higher.

The association says sales rose in Canada's large urban markets, including B.C.'s Lower Mainland, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton-Burlington, Ottawa and Montreal.

On a month-over-month basis, home sales through the Canadian Multiple Listing Service were up 0.6 per cent in September.

Home sales in Canada have been climbing since hitting a six-year low in February.

The national average price for homes sold in September 2019 was about $515,500, up 5.3 per cent from the same month last year.

Excluding the Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto regions, the average price was less than $397,000 and amounting to a year-over-year gain of 3.3 per cent.