The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of homes sold through its Multiple Listing Service was up 1.8% in October compared with September.
Overall, the number of markets where sales posted a monthly increase and those where sales fell were evenly split.
The national rise was driven by gains in the Vancouver region and the Greater Toronto Area.
Compared with a year ago, sales were up 0.1%.
The national average price for homes sold in October was $454,976, up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis.
However, excluding the Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto markets, the average was $339,059, up 2.5% from a year ago.
The national sales-to-new listings ratio was 57.9% in October. CREA says a sales-to-new listings ratio between 40 and 60% is generally consistent with balanced housing market conditions.