The Magic Window
Experts pinpoint the best time to put a house on the market in Dallas
Most people could guess that spring is an optimal time to list a house. But real estate website Zillow delved into the numbers and narrowed it down even more.
In Dallas-Fort Worth, the so-called "magic window" — when your home will sell fastest and for the most money — is mid-March to mid-April.
The analysis comes from the book Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate, written by Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff and chief economist Stan Humphries. They discovered that homes listed nationally from mid-March to mid-April sell around 15 percent faster and for 2 percent more than the average listing.
In DFW specifically, those numbers are even better: Homes listed during magic window sell around 22 percent faster and 3.5 percent more than the average listing, getting sellers around $5,800 more than they would at other times of year.
Aside from the weather lifting homebuyers' moods, there are other factors behind that success. Sites like Zillow typically see a surge in listings in late February and early March. By waiting just a bit longer, you can make sure your listing doesn't get pushed to the bottom of the page.
In other areas of the country, the window may start sooner or later, depending on the weather patterns. For example, the optimal time in a warmer city like Miami starts a little sooner; for Boston home sellers, it's a little later, because they have a longer winter.
Additionally, serious buyers tend to wait until early April to contact real estate agents and mortgage brokers. If you list your home earlier in the year, your listing may not attract someone who's truly interested in making a commitment.
So if you hadn't thought about selling your house before now, you might want to strike while the iron is hot.
