Real estate is a notoriously finicky industry. The value of properties can change rapidly, and the right (or wrong) timing of a listing can mean the difference between a quick sale and a long, drawn-out process. While seasonal considerations are often discussed when it comes to timing a listing properly, the importance of choosing an advantageous weekday is often overlooked.
The data reveals that certain days of the week are generally preferable to others. Despite the seeming insignificance of such minor considerations, considerable price differences can result from not only the day but even the hour that you list your property for sale. Putting your Cambridge, Massachusetts, real estate up for sale at the ideal time will help ensure a fast and profitable sale.
Outlined below are the best and worst days to list a home, as well as some tips on how to choose the right time that works for you.
The worst day to list your home
While there are certainly a number of factors to consider when listing a Cambridge, Massachusetts, home for sale, the day of the week can actually have quite an impact on the success of the sale. Generally speaking, Sundays are the most likely to have a negative effect on your sale.
Sunday is typically a day when people are relaxing with family or taking care of personal errands rather than searching for a new home. As a result, listings that go live on Sundays often receive far less traffic than those that go live on other days of the week. And because the perceived value of a property decreases the longer it sits on the market without any offers, the Sunday lull is likely to decrease the price people are willing to pay for your home. Additionally, many real estate agents are unavailable on Sundays.
Also, because prospective homebuyers are most likely to attend open houses on weekends, waiting until the end of the weekend to list your home will decrease the chances of generating strong attendance. If you're looking for the best possible outcome for your listing, it's best to aim for another day of the week.
The best day to list your home
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It is a common misconception that Fridays and Saturdays are the most advantageous time to list a home, resulting in more showings and faster sales. The reality is that because these days are usually the busiest for real estate agents, your listing may not get the full attention it deserves. Moreover, many prospective homebuyers will already have made plans to attend open houses that were listed earlier in the week by the time the weekend rolls around.
With this in mind, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are generally agreed to be the best day to list a home on the market. Brokers within the Cambridge area conduct open houses on Thursdays and Fridays. For that reason, it’s important to give buyers enough time to plan their schedules and coordinate the open houses they’d like to attend. So, if you list your home on Tuesday or Wednesday, you can ensure that your open house generates more organic foot traffic.
Secondly, listing on a Tuesday or Wednesday gives you a head start on the competition. If you list on a Friday, for example, your listing will get lost in the shuffle of all the other new listings that hit over the weekend. Finally, potential buyers who are serious about making an offer are more likely to do so earlier in the week, before life’s distractions get in the way.
Factors to consider
When choosing which day of the week would be best to list your home, there are a few factors to consider. The most important one is likely to be the amount of traffic you want your listing to receive. If you want as many people as possible to see your listing, then you'll want to list it on a Wednesday or Thursday, when people are most likely to be searching for new homes.
However, if you're not in a hurry to sell, you may want to list your home on a less popular day so that you don't have to weed through as many leads. Another factor to consider is the competition. If there are already a lot of homes on the market, you may want to wait until some of them have sold before listing your own home. By taking the time to carefully consider all of these factors, you can ensure that you list your home at the perfect time for your unique circumstances.
Whether you're looking to upgrade to a bigger home or downsize to something more manageable, listing your home for sale in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is always a big decision. And while there's no perfect time to list, there are definitely some days that are better than others. While Thursdays tend to be the most opportune time to list, the best decision for you will ultimately depend on your unique circumstances.
If you’re ready to sell your home or want assistance with any other real estate needs, contact Scarlett Tamburro. A skilled and experienced agent, she would be happy to help make your real estate dreams a reality.
*Header photo courtesy of Pexels
*Header photo courtesy of Pexels
