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Selling your home this year? Listing on a Thursday in late April brings the greatest reward

Mar 31, 2022

Homes are selling fast year-round, but homes listed in the spring command the highest sale prices nationwide

  • Homes listed for sale in the second half of April can expect to sell for 2.8% more, or about $9,300 on the typical U.S. home. 
  • The first two weeks of November are the worst time to list a home, associated with a 3.5% discount. 
  • The potential price difference between the best and worst times to list is 68% higher than it was before the pandemic. 

SEATTLE, March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationwide, a Thursday during the second half of April is the best time to list a home for sale, according to a new Zillow® analysis of millions of 2021 home sales. Homes listed during those weeks can expect to fetch 2.8% more, or about $9,300 on the typical U.S. home. And homes listed on any Thursday, when shoppers are planning for weekend showings, can sell for about $1,100 more. 

The pandemic-era housing market barely resembles the one from two years ago, with sky-high demand and record-low inventory driving intense competition for homes. Homes are selling fast year-round, with a difference of only a few days between the fastest and slowest periods. But one thing that's remained constant: Listing a home for sale in the spring will yield the best results. 

The potential price benefit from listing at the right time has grown as home values have increased. Listing during the best or worst times of the year can impact a sale price by as much as $21,000, compared to a difference of only $12,500 before the pandemic. 

"With inventory as low as it is, home sellers can expect a quick sale pretty much year-round," said Zillow economist Nicole Bachaud. "Even as frantic buyers are snapping up homes days after they hit the market and often bidding them up above list price, there is still value to be had by listing a home during the right time of year, which is in the spring in most cases. This is a friendly market for sellers, but those who are simultaneously buying need a firm grasp on the right tools and strategies to win their next home."

Of course, all real estate is local, and the advice differs across major U.S. markets. If 2021 trends hold true this year, among the 35 largest metro areas, San Francisco, San Jose, Portland and Austin would have seen the best time to list a home to be as early as the second half of February. Los Angeles, where winter weather does not deter buyers, has the latest ideal time to list; those who listed their home in late December last year saw the biggest price benefit, just edging out late March. Los Angeles metro inventory was 20% lower in December than March, likely contributing to increased demand for each home. 

Still, those markets are outliers. In most large markets, listing in April or May is the sweet spot. Nationwide, the worst time to list a home is during the first two weeks of November, when homes sell for a 3.5% discount.

Regardless of when they are listed, homes are selling quickly. The difference between the periods with the fastest sales (late January through April) and slowest sales (August) was only three days last year, compared to a difference of 12 days in 2019. 

Most home sellers become buyers as well, as they look for their next home. As the best season to list a home approaches, buyers should be prepared for a competitive and fast-moving market. Home listings in April get more than 30% more page views per day than average, meaning more interest and potentially a bidding war that ends in the home selling above list price. 

Buyers should sort out their finances early: deciding their budget, finding a lender and getting pre-approved for a loan, all of which can be done on Zillow's home loans page. Features like SharePlay and Zillow's Homes to Compare tool help compare homes quickly with a shopping partner or team. According to customer research, 86% of Zillow users report shopping with a partner, spouse or housemate, and most successful buyers (81%) say they had to make at least one compromise in order to afford their home. The ability to compare more than 70 key listing details on one screen with Zillow's Homes to Compare tool elevates shoppers' ability to consider tradeoffs and what they and their shopping partners truly want and need in a new home. And whether buying or selling, a real estate agent with the right skills and experience can help expertly navigate the process. Zillow's agent finder can help identify a top-rated local agent. 


Maximize Sale Price

Maximize Page Views

Metro Area*

Best Time to List

Potential
Sale Price Difference on Typical Home

Worst Time to List

Potential
Sale Price Difference on Typical Home

Best Time to List

Potential Difference in Daily Page Views

Worst Time to List

Potential Difference in Daily Page Views

United States

Late April

$9,300

Early November

-$11,700

Early April

31.1%

Late November

-20.1%

New York, NY

Late April

$8,800

Late September

-$8,200

Early March

25.1%

Early September

-19.1%

Los Angeles, CA

Late December

$25,000

Early August

-$17,900

Early April

20.4%

Early October

-11.4%

Chicago, IL

Late April

$7,600

Early November

-$11,100

Early April

40.1%

Late October

-15.7%

Dallas–Fort Worth, TX

Late April

$12,400

Early November

-$17,000

Early January

30.2%

Late November

-18.7%

Philadelphia, PA

Early May

$6,900

Late September

-$8,400

Early April

35.4%

Late November

-20.3%

Houston, TX

Late April

$8,600

Late October

-$9,000

Early April

25.7%

Late October

-18.5%

Washington, D.C.

Late March

$15,300

Early October

-$20,100

Late March

46.7%

Late September

-22.0%

Miami–Fort Lauderdale, FL

Early May

$12,800

Late October

-$17,700

Late April

33.8%

Early January

-17.8%

Atlanta, GA

Early May

$9,100

Early December

-$15,000

Late March

29.5%

Late November

-20.0%

Boston, MA

Late March

$13,100

Early December

-$36,300

Late March

50.6%

Late October

-19.0%

San Francisco, CA

Late February

$106,400

Late October

-$93,200

Late February

50.7%

Early October

-23.8%

Detroit, MI

Late April

$9,700

Late October

-$10,900

Late April

54.9%

Late November

-22.8%

Riverside, CA

Late March

$20,000

Late October

-$20,100

Early March

50.7%

Late October

-28.5%

Phoenix, AZ

Early May

$13,600

Early November

-$15,400

Late February

43.2%

Late November

-26.5%

Seattle, WA

Late March

$42,000

Early October

-$52,700

Late February

52.5%

Late September

-20.1%

Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN

Early April

$14,500

Late November

-$20,600

Early March

42.7%

Late September

-20.1%

San Diego, CA

Late March

$43,000

Late October

-$29,700

Late February

41.3%

Late August

-21.4%

St. Louis, MO

Early May

$7,200

Late November

-$7,000

Early May

34.6%

Late November

-17.2%

Tampa, FL

Late April

$9,200

Early January

-$11,200

Early April

43.6%

Early September

-20.1%

Baltimore, MD

Late March

$9,700

Early October

-$12,700

Late March

60.2%

Late November

-23.5%

Denver, CO

Early March

$30,200

Late October

-$36,700

Early January

66.6%

Early August

-20.9%

Pittsburgh, PA

Early March

$6,100

Late October

-$7,000

Late April

52.2%

Late November

-22.7%

Portland, OR

Late February

$19,700

Early October

-$25,000

Late February

51.0%

Early October

-25.7%

Charlotte, NC

Early May

$11,400

Early December

-$14,200

Late April

28.2%

Late November

-15.9%

Sacramento, CA

Early April

$26,300

Late October

-$24,600

Late February

89.3%

Early October

-29.9%

San Antonio, TX

Early May

$9,000

Late December

-$11,800

Early April

29.9%

Late November

-23.7%

Orlando, FL

Late April

$9,600

Late December

-$12,200

Late April

39.0%

Early January

-25.1%

Cincinnati, OH

Early May

$8,100

Early November

-$10,900

Late April

49.0%

Late November

-25.6%

Cleveland, OH

Early March

$7,200

Late December

-$9,400

Late April

50.5%

Early January

-21.8%

Kansas City, MO

Early April

$8,800

Late November

-$10,900

Early March

61.7%

Late November

-27.4%

Las Vegas, NV

Late April

$13,300

Late November

-$13,200

Late March

59.9%

Late October

-28.8%

Columbus, OH

Late April

$10,700

Late November

-$13,300

Late March

56.6%

Late November

-27.9%

Indianapolis, IN

Late April

$5,900

Late November

-$12,900

Late April

41.5%

Late November

-28.1%

San Jose, CA

Late February

$124,200

Early July

-$82,600

Late December

43.1%

Late July

-21.2%

Austin, TX

Late February

$62,400

Late November

-$55,000

Early January

193.3%

Late November

-34.3%


*Table ordered by market size 

About Zillow Group

Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make it easier to unlock life's next chapter. As the most visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow® and its affiliates offer customers an on-demand experience for selling, buying, renting or financing with transparency and ease. 

Zillow Group's affiliates and subsidiaries include Zillow®, Zillow Offers®, Zillow Premier Agent®, Zillow Home Loans™, Zillow Closing Services™, Zillow Homes, Inc., Trulia®, Out East®, ShowingTime®, Bridge Interactive®, dotloop®, StreetEasy® and HotPads®. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).

 

 

SOURCE Zillow

For further information: Alex Lacter, Zillow, press@zillow.com