When is the best time to list your home for sale? It may be soon, Zillow study finds
The best time to list your home may no longer just be in May.
While the ideal time to list your house for sale has consistently been in early May in the years leading up to the pandemic, a new analysis reveals that the timing depends on where you live.
The Zillow-conducted study found that the best time for a person to sell their home is in the first half of June in the United States.
"The shift to June suggests mortgage rates are strongly influencing demand on top of the usual seasonality that brings buyers to the market in the spring," Zillow wrote in a statement. "This home-shopping season is poised to follow a similar pattern as that in 2023, with the potential for a second wave if the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates midyear or later."
A "For Sale" sign outside of a home in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. (Credit: Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The data for 2023 sales found that homes listed in the first two weeks of June sold for 2.3% more – a $7,700 boost on a typical U.S. home.
Last year, high interest rates put home buyers on the back foot, and as rates continued upward through May, they were still reassessing and less likely to bid boldly, according to Zillow.
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In June, however, rates pulled back a little from 6.79% to 6.67%, which likely presented an opportunity for determined buyers heading into summer.
Best time to list your home based on where you live
Zillow also found that the best time to list can vary widely by metropolitan area.
In 2023, it was as early as the second half of February in San Francisco, and as late as the first half of July in New York and Philadelphia.
But 30 of the top 35 largest metro areas saw for-sale listings command the highest sale prices between May and early July last year.
Best time to list home for sale
United States: First half of June
New York, NY: First half of July
Los Angeles, CA: First half of May
Chicago, IL: First half of June
Dallas, TX: First half of June
Houston, TX: Second half of April
Washington, DC: Second half of June
Philadelphia, PA: First half of July
Miami, FL: First half of June
Atlanta, GA: Second half of June
Boston, MA: Second half of May
Phoenix, AZ: First half of June
San Francisco, CA: Second half of February
Riverside, CA: First half of May
Detroit, MI: First half of July
Seattle, WA: First half of June
Minneapolis, MN: Second half of May
San Diego, CA: Second half of April
Tampa, FL: Second half of June
Denver, CO: Second half of May
Baltimore, MD: First half of July
St. Louis, MO: First half of June
Orlando, FL: First half of June
Charlotte, NC: Second half of May
San Antonio, TX: First half of June
Portland, OR: Second half of April
Sacramento, CA: First half of June
Pittsburgh, PA: Second half of June
Cincinnati, OH: Second half of April
Austin, TX: Second half of May
Las Vegas, NV: First half of June
Kansas City, MO: Second half of May
Columbus, OH: Second half of June
Indianapolis, IN: First half of July
Cleveland, OH: First half of July
San Jose, CA: First half of June
Zillow also found a wide range in the sale price premiums associated with homes listed during those peak periods. At the hottest time of the year in San Jose, homes sold for 5.5% more – an $88,000 boost on a typical home. Meanwhile, homes in San Antonio sold for 1.9% more during that same time period.
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This story was reported from Los Angeles.