(Yahoo! Finance) - The best time to sell your house can be narrowed down to a single week, according to Realtor.com. That's when "the ideal balance of housing market conditions" favors listing a house for sale. In 2026, it's the week of April 12 through 18. However, in your market, it could be one week coming in May — or it might have already occurred in March.
The best time to sell: April 12-18, 2026
The best time to sell a house is based on seasonal trends compiled by Realtor.com from 2018 through 2025, excluding the pandemic year of 2020. The data factors in prices, inventory, demand, and time on the market.
Listing a home during this peak week results in:
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Higher than average prices. Best-week listings see 1.3% higher sale prices than the average week of the year.
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More buyer demand. During the period, listings receive 16.7% more views than a typical week.
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Homes selling faster. The report estimated that homes are on the market for nine days less than the average week.
"While active inventory continues to grow year over year, the pace of that growth is starting to level off, creating a more stable environment for both buyers and sellers," the study said.
Buyers 'are patient' this year
Danielle Hale, Realtor.com chief economist, said in a housing update that the 2026 spring home-selling season faces a challenge of slow-moving inventory.
"While buyer-friendly signs remain, there's also evidence that buyers are being patient. The total number of homes for sale continues to climb in part because homes are sitting for longer on the market this year," Hale said in a YouTube analysis. "This comes at a pivotal time. Spring has an outsized impact on the housing market because a seasonal increase in home shopping ushers in favorable conditions for sellers."
However, home buyers have more options. There is over 7% more home inventory available year-to-date compared to this time in 2025, Realtor.com notes. Slowing home price growth may also give buyers some "budget breathing room," Hale noted.
"For sellers, the mid-April window represents an opportunity to enter a market that feels more within reach for buyers while benefiting from a seasonal advantage in terms of pricing and competition," Hale added in a release.
The best time to sell your house depends on where you live
While April 12 through 18 may be a prime selling week overall from a national perspective, there can be significant differences where you live.
For example, Realtor.com said these metros began peak selling season in March:
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Baltimore
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Boston
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Chicago
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Cincinnati
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Columbus
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Denver
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Grand Rapids, Mich.
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Hartford, Conn.
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Jacksonville, Fla.
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Kansas City, Mo.
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Las Vegas
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Los Angeles
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Milwaukee
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Minneapolis
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New York
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Oklahoma City
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Philadelphia
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Portland, Ore.
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Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.
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Sacramento, Calif.
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San Diego
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San Francisco
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San Jose, Calif.
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Seattle-Tacoma
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St. Louis
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Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, these markets will see their best week to list a home for sale in May:
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Birmingham, Ala.
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Indianapolis
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Memphis, Tenn.
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Miami
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Tucson, Ariz.
“The housing market remains undersupplied, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, meaning sellers of well-priced, move-in ready homes are likely to find success,” said Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com.
“However, in the South and West where inventory is more abundant, sellers face softer conditions. In those metros, optimizing timing to this early spring window is even more critical to differentiate a property from the growing competition,” Jones added.
By Hal Bundrick, CFP® - Senior Writer
