There’s a New Best Time of Year to Sell Your Home, According to Zillow

If you’re planning on selling your home, you might want to wait a couple of months. According to a new Zillow report surveying 2023 home sales, the average home listed in the first weeks of June sold for 2.3% more — accounting for a whopping $7,700 extra.

As Zillow’s report notes, this date marks a change from pre-pandemic years, when early May consistently proved to be the best time to put one’s home on the market. This shift is likely due to the impact of mortgage rates, which rose to over 6% for the first time in over 15 years, finally tapering off in early June. This trend is expected to repeat once again in 2024.

Whereas first-time home buyers used to buy homes most frequently in late spring, when the home-buying market was at its peak, low inventory in recent years has made it all the more important to pay attention to mortgage rates when looking for a new home.

While early June was the best time to put your home on the market overall in 2023, there were some exceptions. For instance, the best time to list a home in San Francisco was the second half of February, when sellers could earn up to 4.2% (or roughly $50,300) more. Cities like Cleveland, Ohio, and Baltimore, Maryland, on the other hand, peaked later, reaching their peak home listing periods during the first half of July.

No matter when you list your home, how you choose to present it to potential buyers matters. An asking price that’s below a round number (e.g., $399,000 vs. $400,000) and opting for a more neutral color palette around your house when you’re ready to sell can both boost your home’s sellability. In the meantime, you can read Zillow’s full report here.