The Best (and Worst) Day to List a Home

If you're not well-versed in the real estate game, you might wonder why the day of the week holds so much weight when listing a home for sale. The day you choose to list your home can play a critical role in how much attention it receives, how quickly offers are generated, how long it sits on the market and, most importantly, how much money you’ll receive.

Various factors can help determine the best day to list a home, including market conditions, location, and seller expectations. How long your home sits on the market can also affect your overall profit, so choosing the day you list your home is extremely important. Many real estate agents debate which days of the week are the best and worst days to list a home.

The overall consensus is that the best time to sell a home is mid-week, specifically Thursdays or Fridays. Most agents and backed data agree that listing your home for sale during the week is more beneficial than on the weekends for several reasons. Listing at the end of the week allows buyers more time to prepare for weekend open houses, showings, and meetings with their agents.

But why Thursday or Friday?

Research shows that listings on Thursdays and Fridays end up with sales prices closer to or above the asking price. In fact, online data collection shows that roughly 21% of homes are listed on Thursday, and those in larger markets have nearly one-third of their homes listed on this day. Properties listed on Thursday typically sell faster than other homes listed on different days of the week.

The time of day a listing is posted is another thing to consider, as it can significantly impact its effectiveness. If you’re planning to list your home on Thursday or Friday, you must factor in time to prepare the listing and generate interest. This means you’ll want to post it as early in the day as possible. If you post it early enough, it will be at the top of the list when agents and buyers begin their searches. This will help generate more traffic to your listing, which translates to more interest gained and more potential buyers.

Thursday tends to be the middle ground between those who feel that listing earlier in the week is better and those who think weekends are the best choice. A home listed on Thursday gives the seller’s agent ample time to generate the listing, provide details, add photographs, and more. A lot of work goes into preparing a home to be listed, such as adding marketing strategies, creating flyers, newsletters, and social media postings, and preparing emails to other agents who might have interested buyers. The better your marketing technique, the more exposure the listing will get, which translates to better chances of receiving higher offers.

Many agents believe Friday is an excellent day to list a home because buyers are more active and have more time to conduct home searches during the upcoming weekend. Buyers are more likely to spot a listing that’s just been posted and plan to see it in person on Saturday or Sunday. Homes listed on Fridays tend to generate roughly 19% more showings than any other day and have a 12% higher chance of selling within three months than homes that aren’t listed on Fridays.

Most buyers plan their weekend activities on Friday, and this means that your listing will be at the top of their list. Many agents believe that homes listed on Friday are more “fresh” and generate more buzz.

Listing your home on a Friday also benefits you as the seller. You’ll likely be more busy on the weekend, so it won’t be as much of a disruption to your schedule to leave your home while buyers are viewing it.

It’s important to know when the best days are to list a home, but it might be even more critical to know what day of the week you shouldn’t list your home. At the end of the weekend, buyers are winding down and getting ready for the next work week. At this time, they’ll likely be focused on other aspects of their life and won’t have the time to conduct a home search, much less attend viewings. That said, it’s probably evident that listing your home on a Sunday is the least-effective option.

While data shows that homes listed on Sunday tend to receive a slightly higher number of online views than on other days of the week, this doesn’t translate into showings. Most prospective buyers are merely scrolling through homes on a Sunday night, and by the time the next weekend arrives, the houses they viewed will no longer be at the top of their minds.

Because of these factors, homes listed on Sunday tend to generate less interest and are at a greater risk of sitting on the market longer and selling for less than the asking price.

There are various factors that can affect a home listing, including the day of the week your home goes live on the internet, the season, interest rates, market conditions, and economic factors. While it’s possible to list a house on any day that suits you, you should follow the recommended information to help sell your home faster and for more money. Before choosing a day to list, be sure to talk with your real estate agent.

If you have more questions about listing your home in the Detroit real estate market, contact real estate expert Austin Black II of City Living Detroit today. Austin and his team are well-versed in market dynamics and the nuances of selling a home and will work tirelessly to ensure you are satisfied with your real estate transaction.