The housing market is about to step out of its prolonged slump. And, according to a new report from Realtor.com, selling conditions are about to become favorable.
According to the real estate destination’s 2026 Best TIme to Sell report released today, the market is set for a major spring turn around. That’s because, in addition to warmer spring weather, mortgage rates have also been on the downslide, dropping to their lowest rate in at least three and a half years. That, coupled with the typical springtime surge, is likely to inspire more home shoppers to begin their spring time search.
The best week for listing, the report says, will be the week of April 12 through the 18th. While springtime listing is usually smart, receiving an average of 16.7% more views in mid-April and selling approximately 17% faster, the report explains that this spring could be one for the books. Last year, homes that were listed during the same time spent 50 days on the market, selling 10 days faster than 2025’s average and three days faster than the 2019 (pre-pandemic) average.
Listing during that window can also lead to listing prices of around 1.3% higher than the average week. According to the report, putting your house on the market in mid-April can mean listing at $5,300 more than the annual average, or $26,000 more than listing in January. Plus, home prices are more stable with roughly 18.9% fewer homes seeing price reductions.
“After years of being squeezed by limited inventory and high rates, the 2026 housing market is starting to feel more approachable for those who have been sidelined,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a press release. “This shift doesn’t just mean more options; lower rates and tempered price growth should give buyers’ some budget breathing room. For sellers, the mid-April window represents an opportunity to enter a market that feels more within reach for buyers while benefiting from a seasonal advantage in terms of pricing and competition.”
The report explains that it’s important that home-sellers aren’t late to the listing game, given that by late June, competition is especially fierce. While prices are reaching peak levels in early summer, the number of listings surges by around 38.4%, meaning your home could more easily get passed over.
When you list always matters, but if you live in certain parts of the country, it’s even more important this year. “The housing market remains undersupplied, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, meaning sellers of well-priced, move-in ready homes are likely to find success,” Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, explains in the release. “However, in the South and West where inventory is more abundant, sellers face softer conditions.”
Jones adds, “In those metros, optimizing timing to this early spring window is even more critical to differentiate a property from the growing competition.”
