Before listing a home for sale, sellers must consider several factors. What is the best time to list your home? At what price should you list? Are there any improvements needed before listing?
Each of these factors, and more, play into the success of selling a home. However, timing is one of the most important considerations.
Spring is the Best Time to List a Home for Sale
According to analysis by Zillow, spring is the best time to put your home on the market. Spring is the beginning of the buying season for a large number of people looking for a new home. Much of this is attributed to the weather warming up, allowing more people to comfortably go out and look for a new home.
Selling Your Home Quickly
For the quickest sale, list your home in early to mid-April. Listings posted in April get the most attention, with more overall views, especially within the first two weeks. During this time, there is a spike in interest as more people pay attention to new homes on the market. Once a listing has been on the market for two weeks or more, interest wanes.
Homes listed in early April also have an advantage over other sellers. While the number of buyers spikes in April, the number of sellers listing homes in April remains low. Many homeowners delay listing until May or June, resulting in less competition for homes in April.
Selling Your Home More Profitably
While early April listings tend to get more undivided attention, listings in late April and early May often sell for a higher price. It may take longer for the home to sell because of higher competition, but the seller can likely make a higher profit by waiting to list until May.
May listings are also fast-moving. On average, homes listed in May sell 6 days faster than those listed later in the year.
Location Specific Listing Times
Timing varies for different areas of the U.S. The best time to list a home for sale may vary depending on location. The April and May listing recommendations may not apply to your area specifically. However, these findings remain consistent in at least half of the largest 35 metros in the U.S.
Depending on the weather and market conditions, some locations may experience vastly different results. San Diego, for example, experiences a spike in buyers in March. However, in Cincinnati, sellers may be better off waiting for summer as homes listed in July tend to sell for a better price.
Within Florida, particularly in the Tampa area, spring listings do well.
Preparing to List Your Home
Sellers need to plan ahead to list a home for sale at an optimal time. It’s recommended that sellers plan to list on a specific day, then work on making preparations to the home to meet their deadline.
Completing Home Improvements
Often, sellers delay home improvements and repairs that would improve the chances of a quick sale at or above full price. Home renovations of any kind can force a seller to postpone the planned listing date, so it’s better to schedule this type of work well in advance to ensure the work is completed on time.
Listing on the Weekend
Experts recommend listing on the weekends for the most views. A larger percentage of buyers are searching for a home over the weekend, leading to more people seeing the listing online. Listing a home for sale on Saturday or Sunday is best, with Friday coming is as a good alternative day to list.
Marimark Realty
Marimark Realty, a top real estate company in Tampa, focuses on providing a personalized experience for buyers and sellers of real estate. As a full-service real estate agency, we help clients with luxury homes, homes for first-time homebuyers, commercial property, and investment property.
To begin the journey of purchasing or selling your home, or purchasing commercial or investment properties, contact us at your earliest convenience.