Finding the advantages in home selling
With housing inventory still recovering from the past decade’s building deficit and the pandemic’s buying frenzy, home sellers have enjoyed the market advantage.
However, they can give themselves an even bigger edge by listing their property at the peak time. Doing so can fetch thousands more in the sale.
Of course, the dates shift depending on where you live. See when home sellers can find their ideal conditions across the U.S.
See what rate you qualify for on your next mortgage. Start hereEarly spring gives home sellers a leg up
As warming temperatures bring flora and fauna out of their winter slumbers, the real estate sector also heats up.
Typically, spring comes with droves of house hunters entering the fray, hoping to find the perfect property. Because of this influx, several market conditions align to give home sellers more power.
Overall, the best time for U.S. home sellers to list their houses is the week of April 14-20, according to Realtor.com. Drawing from the last five years of data (excluding 2020), the average listing price increased by about $34,000 from the onset of the year.
“The second week in April offers optimal conditions for a seller looking to sell their home relatively quickly and for a good price, without facing too much competition for buyer attention,” said Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com. “Though home prices tend to peak later in the year, so does seller competition, which means your home could sit for longer or that you may have to make price concessions.”
The elevated factors helping home sellers
The pillars of supply and demand greatly dictate the circumstances of an environment. In recent history, the amount of prospective home buyers outweighed the inventory of for-sale properties by a wide margin.
Indicators point to housing supply starting to rebound but it still lags demand. This sets the stage for potential home sellers to take advantage of the scarcity.
“There are more homes for sale this year than this time last year, but housing inventory remains nearly 40% below pre-pandemic levels,” Jones said. “This means that sellers offering a well-priced, well-maintained home are set up for success this spring.”
Heightened buyer demand and lower seller competition drive the factors making April 14-20 superior for home sellers. Realtor.com’s report showed listings received an 18.4% spike in views compared to a typical week. On the other side of the fence, this week normally sees 13.7% fewer listings than the average.
The rush of house hunters causes the pace of sales to ramp up. Properties sold 9 days — about 17% — faster during the week of April 14. In tandem, the amount of price reductions dropped by 24.6% over the typical week.
All-in-all, that bolstered listing prices by 1.1% versus an average week and 10.4% from the first week of the year. If 2024 follows suit, that amounts to $7,400 more than the typical week and $34,000 more than the year’s opening.
Preparing your home for sale and listing it for the ideal timeframe takes planning. A 72% share of sellers needed between two weeks and three months to prep their home. Within that group, a 37% plurality needed between two and four weeks.
Check your home buying options. Start hereThe best times for home sellers, by city
While the spring provides the best conditions for home sellers, the exact timing can vary by location.
Among the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, the best week to sell your home ranges from mid-March to mid-May.
Columbus, Ohio, gets the biggest boost in views during its top week for home sellers with a 35.7% increase. Detroit closely trails at 35.2%, then Las Vegas at 33.7%.
Seattle sellers face the least competition during its golden week, with a 32.9% drop in active listings. Denver and Portland, Ore., came next with decreases of 27.4% and 26.2%.
Austin, Texas, saw the fastest sales pace with a 13-day reduction in listing time. Denver’s days on market fell by 12, followed by four cities tied at 11 fewer days — Birmingham, Ala., Boston, New Orleans, and New York.
Sellers in Silicon Valley worry the least about having to possibly lower their asking price. The amount of listings with price reductions plummeted by 83.3% during San Jose, Calif.’s best week for home sellers. Seattle and Columbus, Ohio, followed with decreases of 68.9% and 49.2%.
Sellers in the expensive California metro areas of San Jose, San Francisco and Los Angeles can see the largest dollar gains. In the latter weeks of March, homes can sell over list price by upwards of $153,000, $118,000, and $94,000, respectively.
Find your next mortgage rate hereThe table below shows the top 50 U.S. housing markets in alphabetical order with their best home selling weeks for 2024, according to Realtor.com. Unless noted otherwise, the numbers are comparisons to an average week during the year.
| Housing Market | Best Week Start Date | Views | Active Listings | Days on Market | Price Reductions | Listing Price Change vs Start of Year |
| Overall U.S. | 4/14/2024 | 18.4% | -13.7% | -9 | -24.6% | $34,000 |
| Atlanta | 4/14/2024 | 19.8% | -11.6% | -7 | -21.2% | $34,000 |
| Austin, Texas | 4/14/2024 | 30.2% | -17.0% | -13 | -20.4% | $60,000 |
| Baltimore | 3/17/2024 | 23.1% | -14.3% | -5 | -27.5% | $20,000 |
| Birmingham, Ala. | 5/12/2024 | 13.0% | -7.8% | -11 | -5.9% | $35,000 |
| Boston | 3/17/2024 | 26.3% | -19.5% | -11 | -39.5% | $72,000 |
| Buffalo, N.Y. | 3/31/2024 | 31.8% | -23.3% | -7 | -40.6% | $35,000 |
| Charlotte, N.C. | 4/14/2024 | 21.0% | -12.6% | -9 | -24.3% | $23,000 |
| Chicago | 4/14/2024 | 21.1% | -10.9% | -8 | -18.4% | $46,000 |
| Cincinnati | 4/14/2024 | 19.9% | -15.5% | -7 | -21.6% | $60,000 |
| Cleveland | 4/14/2024 | 22.1% | -16.0% | -8 | -23.3% | $35,000 |
| Columbus, Ohio | 3/24/2024 | 35.7% | -25.4% | -8 | -49.2% | $44,000 |
| Dallas | 4/21/2024 | 26.9% | -16.9% | -9 | -25.8% | $34,000 |
| Denver | 3/31/2024 | 19.3% | -27.4% | -12 | -42.5% | $56,000 |
| Detroit | 4/14/2024 | 35.2% | -22.3% | -9 | -38.3% | $37,000 |
| Hartford, Conn. | 3/17/2024 | 27.7% | -13.7% | -7 | -25.8% | $21,000 |
| Houston | 4/14/2024 | 22.2% | -11.1% | -7 | -20.6% | $22,000 |
| Indianapolis | 5/5/2024 | 26.4% | -18.3% | -10 | -22.5% | $50,000 |
| Jacksonville, Fla. | 4/14/2024 | 26.9% | -12.7% | -7 | -16.4% | $33,000 |
| Kansas City, Mo. | 3/24/2024 | 18.9% | -18.1% | -3 | -41.8% | $34,000 |
| Las Vegas | 3/24/2024 | 33.7% | -18.7% | -6 | -30.5% | $20,000 |
| Los Angeles | 3/31/2024 | 15.6% | -12.6% | -5 | -26.0% | $94,000 |
| Louisville, Ky. | 4/28/2024 | 16.5% | -16.2% | -6 | -36.4% | $37,000 |
| Memphis, Tenn. | 5/12/2024 | 15.0% | -12.7% | -10 | -13.6% | $29,000 |
| Miami | 4/21/2024 | 20.5% | -2.8% | -3 | -4.9% | $33,000 |
| Milwaukee | 3/24/2024 | 26.6% | -11.5% | -6 | -45.0% | $35,000 |
| Minneapolis | 3/17/2024 | 25.3% | -23.7% | -6 | -45.8% | $31,000 |
| Nashville, Tenn. | 4/14/2024 | 24.1% | -17.6% | -7 | -27.0% | $43,000 |
| New Orleans | 4/14/2024 | 17.9% | -7.0% | -11 | -6.3% | $18,000 |
| New York | 3/31/2024 | 16.0% | -7.1% | -11 | -16.7% | $38,000 |
| Oklahoma City | 4/7/2024 | 13.8% | -12.0% | -7 | -16.5% | $23,000 |
| Orlando, Fla. | 4/21/2024 | 25.9% | -14.2% | -5 | -11.2% | $27,000 |
| Philadelphia | 3/24/2024 | 22.9% | -8.8% | -7 | -16.8% | $18,000 |
| Phoenix | 4/21/2024 | 22.9% | -8.7% | -4 | -14.1% | $36,000 |
| Pittsburgh | 4/14/2024 | 23.1% | -13.8% | -10 | -20.2% | $27,000 |
| Portland, Ore. | 3/24/2024 | 28.8% | -26.2% | -9 | -42.7% | $26,000 |
| Providence, R.I. | 4/14/2024 | 20.6% | -15.2% | -7 | -31.3% | $30,000 |
| Raleigh, N.C. | 4/14/2024 | 23.4% | -14.7% | -10 | -30.4% | $30,000 |
| Richmond, Va. | 4/21/2024 | 23.9% | -9.1% | -7 | -7.3% | $36,000 |
| Riverside, Calif. | 4/14/2024 | 23.8% | -12.9% | -5 | -24.2% | $28,000 |
| Rochester, N.Y. | 3/31/2024 | 22.8% | -15.2% | -6 | -29.4% | $32,000 |
| Sacramento, Calif. | 3/31/2024 | 24.0% | -24.6% | -7 | -35.5% | $42,000 |
| San Antonio | 4/21/2024 | 24.5% | -16.1% | -8 | 39.6% | $19,000 |
| San Diego | 3/31/2024 | 18.2% | -15.8% | -5 | -19.6% | $75,000 |
| San Francisco | 3/24/2024 | 19.2% | -18.3% | -6 | 77.2% | $118,000 |
| San Jose, Calif. | 3/24/2024 | 15.2% | -19.5% | -7 | -83.3% | $153,000 |
| Seattle | 3/31/2024 | 23.9% | -32.9% | -9 | -68.9% | $90,000 |
| St. Louis | 3/24/2024 | 19.5% | -12.8% | -4 | -34.0% | $25,000 |
| Tampa, Fla. | 4/21/2024 | 29.1% | -12.9% | -5 | -13.7% | $33,000 |
| Virginia Beach, Va. | 4/21/2024 | 20.9% | -3.9% | -9 | -11.6% | $26,000 |
| Washington, D.C. | 3/24/2024 | 19.0% | -15.3% | -9 | -30.4% | $43,000 |
The bottom line for home sellers
With most conditions in their favor, it can be quite advantageous for home sellers in today’s housing market. However, timing makes a huge difference and so does taking the right steps to get your property in order.
“High home prices and elevated mortgage rates are keeping some buyers out of the market so sellers will need to put their best foot forward to garner attention from home shoppers this spring,” Jones said.
If you’re ready to sell your home, reach out to a local mortgage lender today and see what your options are.
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