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

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Mar 31, 2022, 08:00 ET

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.

Zillow logo (PRNewsfoto/Zillow Group)

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.

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SOURCE Zillow