Ask Monty: When is the Best Time to Sell a Home?

Richard Montgomery on Jun 23, 2026

Dear Monty: When is the Best Time to Sell a Home?

Monty's Answer: You asked a simple question, but the honest answer might surprise you. The real estate industry has spent decades repeating the same advice: list in spring, capture the buying frenzy and walk away with top dollar. It makes for a tidy story. It just isn't always true.

Spring does produce the most activity; more buyers, more showings, more offers. But more buyers also means more competing listings. Your neighbor who has been thinking about selling for three years? Spring is when they finally call an agent, too. You are not just riding a wave of demand. You are swimming in a sea of supply at the same time.

Here is what the conventional wisdom leaves out.

Fall and winter buyers are serious: Someone touring homes in November is not browsing. They have a reason to move: a job change, a lease ending, a life event. They are not comparison shopping for sport. A motivated buyer in a thin market is often a better negotiating partner than a casual buyer in a crowded one.

What the data actually shows: ATTOM's 2026 analysis of more than 52 million home sales spanning a decade confirms that spring sellers do earn real premiums, March leads at 10.7% above estimated market value, followed by May and April both at 10.2%. Those numbers are worth knowing. But here is what they do not tell you: They are national averages. Your local market, your neighborhood, your specific home and your competition on any given week matter far more than what month the calendar shows.

The supply side is the missing variable: When everyone lists in the spring, buyers have options. Options create leverage. Leverage costs sellers money. A well-priced home listed in October with three serious buyers and no competing listings can outperform a spring listing surrounded by 10 neighbors doing the same thing.

The honest answer: The best time to sell is when your home is ready, your price is right and your personal circumstances align. Those three factors will do more for your outcome than any seasonal strategy. Some sellers are best positioned in April. Others in September. The calendar is the least important variable in the equation.

Before you choose a month, choose a good agent who knows your specific market, understands current inventory levels and will tell you the truth about pricing -- even when it is not what you want to hear. That conversation will serve you far better than circling a date on the calendar.

Richard Montgomery is a syndicated columnist, published author, retired real estate executive, serial entrepreneur and the founder of DearMonty.com and PropBox, Inc. He provides consumers with options to real estate issues. Follow him on Twitter (X) @montgomRM or DearMonty.com.

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