When Is The Best Time To List Your Home?

Posted by Richard on July 25, 2024

The absolute best time to list your home for sale is (drum roll), anytime you are ready. But is there an actual best day? It depends who you ask.

A lot of people are taking the word of Zillow, the real estate information company, that the best day is Thursday, if you want to sell quickly and for the best price. According to Zillow, homes listed on Thursday are 1.5 percent more likely to sell above their asking price. And, if you list on Saturday or Sunday, your home was 1.3 percent less likely to sell above asking price.

Real estate site Redfin agrees that Thursday is the best time to post your listing. The idea is that people plan their weekend on Thursday; then spend the weekend working the plan. Redfin says online listings get five times more traffic on a Thursday.

Just 10 years ago, Real Estate Voodoo said it was best to list on a Friday when you were most likely to get at least 99 percent of your asking price. That was because online listings got four times the traffic on Friday as any other day. Real estate was also possibly more tied to real estate listings in the Sunday paper, but that model has changed to online listings.

Today many agents say it is not wise to hold off listing just to hit one day on the calendar. If it is time to sell, and you want to optimize your best chances to get your asking price, put in the time to perk up your property’s appearance inside and out. Paint and fix up the landscape, for example. Take down decorations and personal items to make the rooms uncluttered. Then, take high quality photographs that show your home’s best features. Most say the most important part of an online listing are the photographs. Take photographs in the best light of the day, minimizing flaws and emphasizing views and the depth of a room.