Mark your calendar: The week of April 14 could offer the perfect mix of market conditions for home sellers, according to a new realtor.com® study.
The study, an analysis of trends in home sales, finds that sellers could potentially fetch as much as $34,000 more for their home if they list between April 14 and 20 when compared to the start of this year. Researchers are betting on a powerful combo of high buyer demand, low seller competition and fewer price reductions that week—all working in sellers’ favor.
“Spring is generally the high season for home sales, and buyers tend to be more plentiful earlier in the year,” says Danielle Hale, realtor.com®’s chief economist. “Because listing a home is a process, sellers should start preparing now so they can list their home at a time when conditions are likely to be most favorable, giving them the best chance of selling their home quickly and at a competitive price.”
Realtor.com®’s analysis identified the “best time to list” by analyzing week-to-week listing metrics, including home prices, days on market and number of listings, from 2018 to 2019 and 2021 to 2023. (The study excludes 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s outsized impact on the housing market).
National housing inventory is down nearly 40% compared to pre-pandemic levels, which offers opportunities for sellers this spring, realtor.com® notes. But mortgage rates are rising—hovering near 7%—and some home buyers, having hit their affordability threshold, are leery of jumping in the market.
Still, researchers remain bullish that the week of April 14 to 20 is the right moment for sellers to make a move. Here’s why:
Melissa Dittmann Tracey is a contributing editor for REALTOR® Magazine, editor of the Styled, Staged & Sold blog, and produces a segment called “Hot or Not?” in home design that airs on NAR’s Real Estate Today radio show. Follow Melissa on Instagram and Twitter at @housingmuse.
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