Is There a Best Day to List a House? How Homebuyers Can Leverage Trends

This year has been a wild ride for real estate. The inventory of homes for sale was at a record low of 1.03 million homes in February 2021 — down a record 30% from the previous year. Properties sold that month were on the market for a record low of 20 days and nearly 75% of those homes were on the market for less than a month. Homes priced between $250,000 and $500,000 were on the market just 14 days.

Some experts say that this low inventory has led to higher prices, which combined with rising interest rates, can make purchasing a home difficult for some buyers because they may not be affordable.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t find a home you love in your price range. Staying on top of listings is one tactic that can benefit you in your search. But is there a best day to list a house, and how can you effectively target homes as they become available? We consulted a top real estate agent and dove into the data to help you leverage timing in this competitive landscape and buy the house you want — no matter the day, month, or season.

Best day to list a house

According to top agent Chris Creegan, owner of the Creegan Group in Winter Park, Florida, outside of the seller’s preference on when they want to show their house, he says the best day to list a house is the middle to the end of the week. This allows the agents a few days to get marketing materials (like photos, one-pagers, rack cards, and open house take-aways) together to create a frenzy for weekend showings.

“A lot goes into getting a listing live and preparing it properly,” Creegan says. “A lot of the advertising outside of the MLS starts before the listing is even live.”

Our Q2 2020 Top Agent Insight Survey shows almost 40% of agents polled pinpointed Thursday as the best day for homes to be listed, followed closely by Wednesday.

A report in USA Today determined that homes listed on Thursdays sold for more money and in less time than those listed on other days of the week. In fact, they found that homes listed on Thursday sold for an average of $3,015 more than homes listed on Mondays and went under contract 5 days faster than homes listed on Sunday.

What does this mean for you as the buyer? The homes listed on Thursday are going to have a lot of views online that will translate to weekend showings — meaning more competition. So be prepared. If your schedule allows, look at homes listed earlier in the week and try to schedule showings mid-week. With this strategy, you’ll already have some viewings under your belt when you schedule weekend viewings for the homes listed later in the week.

Best month to list a house

We now know that Thursday is considered the best day to list a house, but how about the best month?

In the summer months, nicer weather and longer days traditionally bring with them more showings, which can lead to more — and higher — offers. In fact, listing a home in June can net a 9.2% seller premium.

Creegan agrees, saying, “June is a great month.”

For buyers looking for a home during these months, it’s best to be prepared for some competition and potentially higher prices.

’Tis the season to list

Seasons can influence the price you pay when buying a home — potentially as much as 10%.

Creegan tells us that in the past there was a fairly consistent cycle for home selling and buying. There are traditionally more listings and purchases in the spring, closings in summer and early fall, and not too much movement in the winter months.

That cycle became a little more unpredictable in 2020, when prospective buyers started stepping back to rethink their plans amid high unemployment, tighter lending practices, and general economic uncertainty.

“The holidays were usually slow, but we’ve had people texting on Thanksgiving and buying houses on Christmas Day,” Creegan says.

Jason Perry of JMP Inspection Services in Clinton, Tennessee, agrees.

He says in Tennessee this year, business was busier in February and slower in March and April. The schedule started picking up in the warmer months which, he said, is indicative of more people moving. While he expects inspection requests to slow down around the holidays and pick back up in the beginning of the year, he says, “this year, the slowdown isn’t much of a slowdown.”

“Right now the bigger companies are booked out with full schedules and the little guys are staying busy, too,” he says. “Demand is low because there are fewer houses for sale, but the houses that are selling are enough to keep everyone busy.”

Let’s take a closer look at the seasons.  

Fall

Time Magazine says the best time of year to buy a home is in the early fall — specifically September — when the number of properties on the market is still relatively high compared to the winter months and sellers are eager to close. Just keep in mind that a September purchase will likely mean a November closing. 

Winter

 “People typically avoid moving in the winter because of the holidays,” Creegan says. “They want to enjoy one last year before moving.”

The holiday season — from Thanksgiving to the new year — has traditionally been the best time for homebuyers to get a deal on a house because there’s less competition and sellers are more motivated during the holidays. This could translate to considerable price decreases, a definite benefit for buyers. December has been identified as the month when buyers typically get the best price on real estate.

This is in line with NAR reports that show November, December, January, and February usually having the least sales activity — with January being the slowest.

Because supply follows demand, buyers likely won’t find as many homes for sale during the winter months, but if a buyer can tolerate the low inventory, this could be a perfect time to score a good deal. Though sellers don’t have a lot of competition, they likely aren’t getting a lot of showings or offers either, meaning they may be more amenable to negotiating.

“We are seeing this now,” Creegan says.

“Inventory is so low that people are moving in the winter and making offers, even on holidays, to take advantage of serious sellers and overall slowdown of buyer activity.”

Spring

Spring is a hot period for the housing market. Blue skies, green grass, and blooming flowers make for great curb appeal, which is the first impression a buyer gets when they see a photo or arrive on property. In fact, 94% of agents surveyed for our Top Agent Insights for Spring 2021 said that curb appeal translates to more money for the seller.

Historically, spring has been the start of the residential sales season and this is when inventory is likely to be higher, but competition will be, too. Since more people are looking, sellers receive more offers. These offers are more competitive and often roll in quickly (sometimes before a home is even officially on the market), so homes sell for a higher price.

Summer

Traditionally, the busiest four months in real estate are May, June, July, and August. In fact, these four months alone make up 40% of annual home sales volume, with an average of 2.1 million purchase transactions.

Summer is a popular time to list a home because the weather is good, the days are longer, and a summer closing affords the buyer (and the seller) the opportunity to get into their new home before school starts.

If you’re a summer-searcher, just know that you won’t be alone. While this may be the best season to list a house, it is the worst season to buy a house because high demand equates to higher prices.

As summer ends, buyers may have more footing to ask for seller concessions, like paying closing costs, and more power to negotiate as the peak selling season comes to an end.

The takeaway

No matter the best day to list a house, ultimately, the best time to buy a house depends on your finances, goals, and personal needs.

But keep in mind, Creegan says, what’s best for the seller isn’t necessarily best for the buyer. As a buyer, you’ll want to start your search when supply and demand balance in your favor, meaning you have choices (supply), but not a lot of competition (demand). Understanding sales trends in a particular area can help you determine when that best time is.

Buyers market vs. sellers market

 The type of market can affect how you prepare for your home purchase, how quickly a home might sell, how much competition there will be for it, and how much the home will cost.

 A buyers market exists when buyers have more negotiating power than prospective sellers. In this type of market, there are more than enough homes for sale to meet the needs of interested buyers.

Though much of the nation hasn’t been in this situation since the early 1990s, you may find yourself shopping in a seasonal buyers market. If you do, you may be able to offer 5% to 10% less than the asking price, ask for seller concessions, and request repairs.

On the flip side, a sellers market exists when sellers have more negotiating power than prospective buyers. In this type of market, there aren’t enough homes for sale to meet the needs of interested buyers. Much of the U.S. is a sellers market as of August 2021.

It can be stressful to shop for a home in a sellers market. Fortunately, there are strategies you can use that may help make it easier. We’ve summarized a few below.

Get pre-approved for a mortgage. This shows a seller you are financially able to meet the offer you’ve made.

Know what you want and act quickly. Only look at homes in your price range that meet your needs. Stay on top of listings and, if you find a home you love, be prepared to make an offer on it after you look at it.

Keep your offer simple and competitive. Stick with basic contingencies (like financing and appraisal) and a standard closing time frame of 30 to 45 days.

Be prepared for bidding wars. You should assume you won’t be the only one making an offer. It’s best to set a firm ceiling on your spending limit based on what the home is worth and, more importantly, what you can afford. Make an offer that gives you some wiggle room to counter, but know when to walk away.

Get a head start with an agent

There’s a lot of information to digest here, but when you’re ready to start your search, reach out to a qualified agent. Creegan says regardless of when the best day to list a house may be and when you decide to start looking, partnering with an agent who has a history in the market and understands the trends will be the best bet in making sure you have a positive experience and a successful home purchase.

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