If You Sell Your House in This Month, You’ll Make Thousands More

The housing market has changed in the past couple of years so it’s no surprise that the strategies for buying and selling have changed, too. According to Zillow, the best time to list a home is a month later than it was in 2019. So, if you’re a future seller, June is go-time.

The team at Zillow analyzed 2023 sales and found that homes listed in the first two weeks of June sold for 2.3% more, which is a $7,700 price increase on a typical U.S. home. Rising mortgage rates seem to be the cause for this change—Zillow states, “The 2.3% sale price premium registered last June followed the first spring in more than 15 years with mortgage rates over 6% on a 30-year fixed-rate loan. The high rates put home buyers on the back foot, and as rates continued upward through May, they were still reassessing and less likely to bid boldly. In June, however, rates pulled back a little from 6.79% to 6.67%, which likely presented an opportunity for determined buyers heading into summer.”

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While spring used to be the hot season to sell, these mortgage rate fluctuations could continue to change the optimal times to list. Zillow says that first-time home buyers who are close to qualifying for a home loan may move forward or pause their search based on the rates. If the Federal Reserve lowers the interest rates later in the year, we might see more buyers looking to commit then, which might be well after spring.

But the first two weeks of June is the average peak period for the U.S. overall—if you really want to find out the exact optimal time to list your home, well, that depends on where you live. For example, in 2023, the second half of February in San Francisco was ideal, while in Los Angeles, it was the first half of May. In general, the sweet spot for 30 of the top 35 largest metro areas is between May and early July.

Take a look at the best times to list in some Western metropolitan areas below, according to Zillow. You can see more of the findings here.

• Los Angeles, California: First half of May with a 4.1% price premium ($39,300)
• Phoenix, Arizona: First half of June with a 3.2% price premium ($14,700)
• San Francisco, California: Second half of February with a 4.2% price premium ($50,300)
• Riverside, California: First half of May with a 2.7% price premium ($15,600)
• Seattle, Washington: First half of June with a 4.3% price premium ($31,500)
• San Diego, California: Second half of April with a 3.1% price premium ($29,600)
• Denver, Colorado: Second half of May with a 2.9% price increase ($16,900)
• Portland, Oregon: Second half of April with a 2.6% price increase ($14,300)
• Sacramento, California: First half of June with a 3.2% price premium ($17,900)
• Las Vegas, Nevada: First half of June with a 3.4% price premium ($14,600)
• San Jose: First half of June with a 5.5% price premium ($88,400)