Attention Sellers: The First Week of April Is the Best Time to List a Home

Homes listed the first week of April see 14 percent more views, 5 percent less competition, sell 6 days faster

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 14, 2019 -- Realtor.com®, The Home of Home Search, today announced the first week of April is the best time to put a home on the market in 2019. By listing during the week of March 31 - April 6, sellers are able to take advantage of a sweet spot in the season that offers high buyer demand, less competition, quick home sales, and strong prices.

"June is often considered the peak of home buying season, but our analysis found the first week of April is best for sellers looking to maximize list price, and also reduce the risk of price cuts and competition from other sellers," said Danielle Hale, chief economist for realtor.com®. "Given the time it takes from listing to close, putting a home on the market in early April positions sellers to attract buyers seeking to close and move before the beginning of school year."

The analysis is based on trends in median listing prices, views per property on realtor.com, home price drops, median days on market, and number of listings on the market over the last three years.

Why the first week of April?

The market is bustling with buyers, but the number of homes hasn't peaked yet, which means more demand for every listing. In fact, homes listed the first week of April see 14 percent more views, on average, and 5 percent less competition compared to the rest of the year's weekly average. As a result, homes are likely to sell 6 days, or nearly 9 percent, faster on average.

The typical home on the market between March 31 and April 6 is priced nearly 6 percent higher than the beginning of the year. Based on early 2019 data, this could mean an extra $17,000 added to the list price for a typical listing priced just over $306,000 in early April. Although the typical June listing is 7 percent more expensive than the best week to list, waiting until June to list your home could mean a higher likelihood of a price reduction as buyers bow out toward end of summer. In addition to more views, homes listed at the beginning of April are approximately 1 percent less likely to take a price cut, on average compared to the rest of the year. On the flip side, homes listed in June are 1 percent more likely to have their price reduced and see nearly 2 percent fewer listing views than other times of the year, on average.

Other factors that favor listing the first week of April

Another factor that's likely to boost April buyer demand this year, is the surprising decline in mortgage rates that started in November 2018. Rates are now below 4.5 percent vs. nearly 5.0 percent in November 2018. These lower rates could entice demand earlier than usual and April sellers could see even more buyers trying to take advantage of this temporary window of affordability.

See below for a full list of the best time to buy in the top 50 largest U.S. markets.

Best Time to List for Top 50 Largest U.S. Metros

About realtor.com®

Realtor.com®, The Home of Home Search, offers an extensive inventory of for-sale and rental listings, and access to information, tools and professional expertise that help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. It pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today is the trusted resource for home buyers, sellers and dreamers by making all things home simple, efficient and enjoyable. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of REALTORS®. For more information, visit realtor.com.