Sometimes major life events—like a divorce or a job in a new city—make our real estate decisions for us. The rest of the time, however, we're left to our own devices. While there are a number of factors that determine when, exactly, is the best time to put our home on the market, real estate analysts and forecasters can turn to data from previous years to make a general prediction as far as the time of year when sellers stand to benefit the most.
According to a recent report from realtor.com, this very week—April 14-20, 2024—is the best time this year to sell a home. That may be nice to hear if your home is currently on the market, but it's not necessarily useful information for other would-be sellers, who have missed 2024's sweet spot. The good news is that if they don't need to sell immediately—they can take the next year to get their home ready to list in time for the best time to sell in 2025.
The best time of year to sell a house
Based on real estate trends in past years, spring is the best time of year to sell a house, according to data from realtor.com. "Housing conditions in April may differ year to year, but seasonality suggests that within a given year, the best time to sell will fall around mid-April," says Hannah Jones, an economic research analyst for realtor.com. "For example, today’s market is relatively challenging and this year’s sellers have adjusted their expectations accordingly, but this spring will be the best combination of conditions within the year for sellers."
So what is it about spring that puts people in the mood to buy new homes? According to Jones, it comes down to two major factors. First, spring "starts the seasonal ascent in home prices, and quickens the pace of sale," she says. Also, because housing inventory typically increases in the spring, but hasn't yet reached the heights of summer and early fall, sellers can expect more buyer attention. "The combination of higher-than-average prices and buyer demand, coupled with quick market pace and low competition from other sellers makes mid-April the best time to sell," Jones says.
How to get your home ready to list one year from now
Even if you haven't officially gotten the ball rolling—or are still on the fence about selling your home—there's still time to get it ready and listed for next year's spring selling season. While forecasters haven't pinpointed the specific week yet, according to Jones, mid-April 2025 will likely be the best time to sell a home next year, "assuming typical seasonal housing market patterns hold."
Of course, the amount of time you'll need to get your home market-ready depends on variables like its current condition, and how much work (if any) you plan on putting into it before selling. But to give you a general idea, the findings of a different survey from realtor.com indicate that roughly 80% of sellers take between two weeks and six months to prepare their home for sale, with the largest share taking between one and three months.
It's also worth noting that more than half of seller surveyed (56%) said that the process of getting their home ready to list took longer than they had expected—so learn from their mistakes, and make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Not sure where to start? Here are some of the steps you'll likely need to take in order to list your home next spring:
Come up with a game plan
Before reaching out to potential listing agents, you should have a general idea of where you want to be after you sell your home, says Maureen McDermut, a realtor with Sotheby's International in Montecito, California. Are you moving out of state, abroad, or staying local? Whether you're moving to a new state, country, or staying local, start familiarizing yourself with the real estate market in that area so there are no major surprises further down the road.
Hire a listing agent
According to Jones, it's helpful to engage with an experienced listing agent early on in the process. In addition to walking you through what needs to be done in order to get your home ready to list in the spring, they'll also help set your expectations for a listing price based on the area, and help you determine whether it makes more sense to take on major renovations and repairs, or sell your home as-is.
But don't simply hire the first agent who comes up in an online search; keep in mind that this is the person you'll be advising you on how to get top dollar for your home. McDermut recommends looking up reviews for your potential listing agents on Zillow or other real estate websites, then interviewing between three and five local agents before making a decision. "While almost all of us have an agent in the family, it might be a better move to hire someone else, especially to avoid family conflicts," she says.
Ideally, you should have your listing agent in place roughly four to six months before getting your home live on the market, McDermut says. For example, if you want to list your home in April 2025, you should interview agents in December and make your decision by January. "I would absolutely make sure an agent is hired 90 days prior to your target listing date," she says.
Follow your listing agent's recommendations
After assessing your home, your listing agent will probably have a few recommendations for making it more appealing to potential buyers. Remember that they're on your team and also benefit from your home selling for as much as possible. "While some of the advice might sound insulting—especially when it comes to a large project you undertook on the home—your agent wants to help you get your home in the best shape possible to sell," McDermut says.
Take sliding barn doors, for example. While it wasn't that long ago that they were all the rage, they've since fallen out of favor, and according to McDermut, buyers don't want the hassle of having to replace them. That's why as a listing agent, she would advise sellers to have new doors installed before putting their home on the market.
Go through your belongings
Start the decluttering process as soon as possible. "In today's market, buyers may wish to move in as quickly as possible, so you want to be ready," McDermut says. "If it isn't a necessity of everyday living, move it into storage or sell it."
Have listing photos taken
While you have some time before you need to worry about interior listing photos, don't put off the exterior shots for too long. More specifically, arrange to have exterior photos taken of your home when it looks its best—which in many cases is when your trees, flowers, and plants are in full bloom and looking lush, says Haley Bartlett, a realtor at iGo Realty Denver. "Planning ahead and taking outside photos during that season can lead to more buyers taking note of your home when it is time to sell," she says.
If you're having your home professionally staged, the interior listing photos are typically taken seven to 14 days before it hits the market, says Ashley Oshinsky, a real estate broker and the owner of Higher Living Real Estate. "The reason for this is staging charges by the month, so the longer it sits in your home the longer it needs to be paid for," she says.
Start detaching emotionally
According to McDermut, this is often the hardest step for sellers who have a lot of memories attached to their home. "As you're going through the process, it helps to start thinking of your home as an investment, which it is," she says. "The sooner you can get to that state of mind, the sooner you will be able to carry on with the other tasks of selling your home."