The Best Weeks To List Your Home for Sale To Make More Money
Written by
Jennifer Taylor
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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It’s not a myth — when you list your home matters. Simply putting it on the market a little earlier or later than planned can pay off and make you more money.
Plus, get some tips on how to sell your home fast from a real estate agent.
List in Late May
Specifically, homes listed in the last two weeks of May 2024 yielded an extra 1.6% on the sale — approximately $5,600 on the typical U.S. home — according to Zillow. Sellers tend to collect above-average returns when they list a property between March 15 and July 31, but the end of May is currently peak time in many markets.
This is a shift from the pre-COVID-19 era, when late-April through early May was largely considered the best time to list, according to Zillow.
Pay Attention to Your Local Market
Of course, the absolute best time to list your home for sale also depends on your geographic area.
For example, late May is the best time to list in Pittsburgh, but early May is best in Las Vegas, according to Zillow. This can even vary within a single state, as early October is the best time to list in Tampa, Florida, while late July is best in Miami.
“The best time to list your home depends on seasonal market trends in your area,” said Andrew Fortune, Realtor and brokerage owner at Great Colorado Homes.
Personally, he has experience working as a Realtor in both Houston and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“Timing isn’t as critical in places like Houston, where real estate activity is steady year-round,” he said. “But in seasonal markets like Colorado Springs, winter brings fewer buyers, making spring and summer the best times to sell.”
Generally speaking, he said warmer weather encourages more house hunting, and families tend to move before the start of the new school year.
What Buyers Should Do
As for buyers, Fortune advises them to move when the timing is right for them and they’ve found their perfect home.
“It doesn’t matter when a buyer finds a home, as long as it is the right one,” he said.
Sara Levy-Lambert, vice president of growth at RedAwning, agreed that the timing of a listing matters less for buyers. “Even during non-traditional peak seasons, buyers can negotiate great deals if they research the nuance of their local market and employ excellent negotiation skills.”
Other Options To Consider
While Levy-Lambert agreed that sellers can get better exposure and potentially higher offers for timing their listing with active markets, she also encouraged exploring other avenues.
“Outside of the traditional seasonal expectations, it’s also worth uncovering localized matters and unique opportunities, which may nudge ideal timing outside of convention,” she said. “Market data such as that from Zillow is a great indicator, but there are local developments — new infrastructure projects, unexpected community investments — that can make you fall out of the normal patterns that can’t be found anywhere but through personalized market analysis.”
Ultimately, the Zillow guidance can be a great starting point for when to list your home. However, several other factors could adjust the standard timeline, so do what works best for your situation.
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