The first week in April is the best time to list your house in 2019, according to Realtor.com.
Why?
There is a confluence of factors that reach a fever pitch during this specific week to make it ideal for home sellers. Namely, high buyer demand, limited competition, quick sales and strong prices.
According to Realtor.com, the market is lively with buyers at this time of year, but not everyone has listed their properties just yet, meaning there is more demand for the listings out there.
In fact, the advantage is calculable.
Realtor.com reveals that homes listed in the first week of April see an average of 14% more views and experience 5% less competition compared with the standard weekly average, translating to a sale 6 days faster.
And, sellers could also pocket more money.
The average home on the market during this week is priced almost 6% higher than average home prices in the beginning of the year, according to Realtor.com. This could mean that, for a typical listing of about $306,000 in early April, sellers could see $17,000 added to their bottom line.
These homes are also 1% less likely to take a price cut than homes listed at other times during the year.
Of course, the recent drop in mortgage rates also provides a welcome boost for sellers.
“These lower rates could entice demand earlier than usual and April sellers could see even more buyers trying to take advantage of this temporary window of affordability,” Realtor.com said.
The listing site’s analysis is based on trends in listing prices, price drops, median days on the market, views per property on Realtor.com, and the number of listings on the market.
The result led to the conclusion that the first week in April as a “sweet spot” for home sellers looking to maximize their returns as quickly as possible.
“June is often considered the peak of home-buying season, but our analysis found the first week of April is best for sellers looking to maximize list price, and also reduce the risk of price cuts and competition from other sellers,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com. “Given the time it takes from listing to close, putting a home on the market in early April positions sellers to attract buyers seeking to close and move before the beginning of school year.”
