Experts Disagree on Best Time for Sellers to List Homes

Zillow asserts that, according to an analysis of three years of data, the best time for sellers to put their homes on the market is mid-March to mid-April or mid-to-late April for markets with harsh winters, like Boston. Listing during this “magic window” could generate an $8,100 premium for sellers, who should wait for an increase in inventory, then put their listing “on top of the pile,” advises Zillow senior economist Skylar Olsen. Redfin, meanwhile, says the best time to list is March 21 to June 20, with 39 percent of homes listed during the spring going under contract within 30 days and 15 percent selling for more than the list price. However, Redfin reveals that time on market and price sold were only one percentage point less for homes sold between Dec. 21 and March 20. With there being little difference, Charlesgate Realty’s Michael DiMella suggests that sellers simply put their homes on the market when it is most convenient for them. “So many other factors are much more important than to time the market to get every little dollar,” he says, though he acknowledges that sellers may be able to get a better price in the winter because those buyers generally are more serious. “It’s just this cultural thing that in the spring, everyone is going to buy or sell, but it has much more to do with the house you’re selling than the month you list,” adds Redfin economist Troy Martin. “More data I’ve seen has led me to believe that there isn’t a best time.” | Read More