Days on Market Explained: What Every Home Buyer Should Know

You're scrolling through listings and notice one house has been for sale for 15 days while another has lingered for 150. That difference tells you something important about price, competition, and your negotiating power.

Days on market measures how long a property has been actively listed for sale — and it's one of the most revealing metrics in real estate. This guide explains how DOM is calculated, what it signals about seller motivation, and how you can use it to make smarter offers.

What is days on market and how it is calculated

Days on market measures how long a property has been actively listed for sale. The count starts the day a home appears on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and continues until the seller accepts an offer or removes the listing.

Here's where it gets tricky. DOM only tracks the current listing period. If a seller withdraws their home and relists it later, the counter can reset to zero. A property showing 15 days on market might have actually been for sale months earlier under a different listing.

DOM vs DOMM vs DOMP

Real estate professionals use three variations of this metric, and knowing the difference helps you see the full story:

• DOM (days on market): The current active listing period

• DOMM (days on market — MLS): How long this specific MLS listing has been live

• DOMP (days on market — property): The total time a property has been for sale, even across multiple listings or agents

DOMP gives you the most complete picture. A home might show 30 days on market but have a DOMP of 180 days if the seller tried selling earlier with a different agent.

Where to find DOM on MLS and portals

Most real estate websites display days on market in the listing details. On Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin, you'll typically find it near the top of the listing page, alongside the price and square footage.

If you're working with an agent, ask them to pull the full listing history. This reveals price changes, previous listing attempts, and the true DOMP.

Why days on market matters for buyers

DOM works like a negotiation thermometer. It reveals how motivated a seller might be and how competitive the market is in that neighborhood. A low DOM suggests strong buyer interest and potential bidding wars. A high DOM signals you might have room to negotiate below the asking price.

Price leverage and offer timing

Properties with extended market time often come with price flexibility. A home at 90 days on market in a neighborhood where the average is 30 days presents a clear opportunity. The seller has likely adjusted their expectations and may welcome a reasonable offer, even below asking price.

Think of it this way: the first two weeks on market generate the most showings and the strongest offers. After that, momentum slows. The longer a home sits, the more buyers wonder what's wrong with it — giving you potential negotiation leverage.

Hidden red flags in a high DOM listing

Extended market time doesn't always mean you've found a bargain. Sometimes a high DOM signals legitimate concerns: overpricing, property defects, or building issues that scare off other buyers.

Before celebrating your negotiating position, investigate why the home is lingering. Check whether the building has financial problems, restrictive buyer requirements, or pending special assessments. Look for signs of deferred maintenance or features that limit the buyer pool.

Average days on market real estate trends nationwide

In a balanced market, homes typically sit for 30 to 60 days before going under contract. In hot markets, that number drops to under two weeks. In slower markets, 90 to 120 days becomes normal.

National median DOM fluctuates with mortgage rates, inventory levels, and economic conditions. As of July 2025, homes spent an average of 58 days on the market. When rates rise sharply, DOM climbs. When inventory tightens, homes move faster.

Seasonal swings in DOM

Spring and summer traditionally see the fastest sales. Families want to move before the school year starts, and homes show better with blooming gardens and natural light.

Fall brings a slowdown as buyers focus on holidays and year-end commitments. Winter sees the longest DOM, particularly in cold-weather markets. A home listed in November might naturally have higher DOM than an identical property listed in April.

Property type variations

Single-family homes generally sell faster than condos or co-ops because they appeal to a broader buyer pool. Luxury properties and unique homes naturally accumulate higher DOM because fewer buyers can afford them or want their specific features.

Condos face additional hurdles: building approval processes, monthly fees, and financing restrictions. Co-ops take even longer because of strict board approval requirements.

Factors that increase days listed on a home

Several common issues extend a property's time on market. Recognizing them helps you evaluate whether a high DOM represents opportunity or warning.

Overpricing from day one

The most common culprit is unrealistic pricing. Sellers often overestimate their home's value based on emotional attachment, peak-market comparables, or outdated advice.

The market punishes overpricing harshly. Those initial weeks on market are crucial — that's when buyer interest peaks and showings happen most frequently. Miss that window with the wrong price, and you've wasted your best chance at a quick sale.

Condition and curb appeal

Deferred maintenance, outdated finishes, or poor presentation all extend DOM. Buyers scrolling through listings skip homes with bad photos, cluttered rooms, or obvious repair needs.

First impressions matter enormously. A home with peeling paint or overgrown landscaping will sit longer than a comparable property that's been staged and refreshed.

Limited marketing exposure

Sometimes high DOM reflects poor marketing rather than property problems. Inadequate photography, restricted showing times, or an inexperienced agent can torpedo a sale. If a seller only allows showings on weekday afternoons, they're artificially limiting their buyer pool.

How to use high days on the market to negotiate

Extended DOM gives you negotiating power, but you'll get better results with a strategic approach rather than a lowball offer.

1. Adjust your offer price strategically

Use comparable sales and local DOM averages to calculate a fair offer. If similar homes sell in 30 days and this one has been listed for 90, that's meaningful data.

Consider offering 5 to 8 percent below asking for homes at 90 to 120 days on market, assuming that's significantly above the local average. For properties past six months, you might justify 10 to 15 percent below asking, especially since nearly 80% of properties sold at or below their list price according to NAR's July 2025 data.

2. Request seller concessions

High DOM creates opportunity beyond just price reduction. Ask the seller to cover closing costs, pay for a home warranty, or handle repairs identified during inspection through seller concessions. — sellers gave concessions in 44.4% of transactions in early 2025.

This approach can be particularly effective with sellers who are emotionally attached to a specific price point. They can tell their neighbors they got "full price" while you still save thousands.

3. Shorten contingencies for a win-win

Motivated sellers value certainty almost as much as price. Offering a faster closing timeline or reducing your inspection contingency period can make your offer more attractive, even if your price isn't the highest.

This works best when you've already done your homework — had a pre-inspection, reviewed building financials, and confirmed your financing.

Can sellers reset the DOM clock and how to spot it

Yes, sellers can restart the days on market counter. This practice happens more often than you might expect.

Relisting tricks and MLS gaps

The Real Estate Board of New York's rules allow DOM to reset to zero if a listing has been off the market for 90 consecutive days. Some sellers use this strategically — they withdraw their listing, wait three months, and relist with a fresh DOM counter.

Other DOM resets happen when sellers switch agents or change listing types. These resets are technically legitimate but can obscure a property's true market history.

Checking public records for true listing age

Ask your agent to pull the full property history from the MLS, which shows all previous listings, price changes, and off-market periods. Some listing sites like StreetEasy show "first listed date" alongside current DOM, giving you both data points.

You can also search for the address on multiple real estate portals and compare the information. If one site shows 30 days and another shows 150, you know there's been a reset.

How sellers can reduce days on market or skip it altogether

While this guide focuses on buyers, knowing seller strategies helps you evaluate what you're seeing in the market.

Pricing to the market from day one

The most effective way to minimize DOM is accurate pricing from the start. Sellers who price competitively based on recent comparable sales typically see offers within the first two to four weeks.

Professional appraisals, comparative market analysis from experienced agents, and realistic expectations about current market conditions all contribute to smart pricing.

All-cash instant offer alternatives

Some sellers skip the traditional listing process entirely by accepting instant cash offers from companies like Opendoor. This approach eliminates DOM concerns completely because there's no public listing period.

The seller requests an offer online, reviews the terms, and chooses their closing date — often within days or weeks. There's no DOM to manage, no showings to coordinate, and no uncertainty about whether an offer will materialize. Get a cash offer to see what your home could be worth without the wait.

Tools to track DOM in real time

Technology makes monitoring days on market easier than ever, whether you're actively house-hunting or just watching the market.

Mobile apps with DOM alerts

Most major real estate apps — including Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com — let you save searches and set up notifications when properties matching your criteria hit the market or change price. You can filter by days on market to focus on either fresh listings or properties that have been sitting.

These apps typically update daily, so you'll see DOM changes almost in real time.

Browser extensions for historical DOM data

Several browser extensions and third-party tools track listing history across multiple sites. These tools capture data that might disappear when a listing is removed and relisted.

Your real estate agent also has access to MLS data that's more comprehensive than public-facing websites. They can pull reports showing DOM trends by neighborhood, price range, and property type.

Make your move with confidence

Days on market gives you powerful insight into seller motivation, market conditions, and negotiating opportunities. But it's just one data point among many.

The best buyers combine DOM analysis with neighborhood research, property inspection, and financial planning to make informed decisions. You'll know when to act fast and when to negotiate hard.

And if you're on the other side of the transaction — selling your current home — you don't have to worry about DOM at all. Get a cash offer from Opendoor and skip the uncertainty of traditional listings entirely.

FAQs about days on market

How many days on the market is too long for a house?

It depends entirely on your local market conditions. In hot markets, anything over 30 days might signal a problem. In slower markets or for unique properties, 90 to 120 days can be normal. Compare the property's DOM to the neighborhood average — if it's significantly higher, investigate why.

Does days on market impact the appraisal value?

DOM itself doesn't directly affect appraised value. Appraisers focus on comparable sales, property condition, and market conditions rather than how long a home has been listed. However, extended market time might reflect overpricing, which means the appraisal could come in lower than the asking price.

Do new construction homes have a days on market count?

Yes, but it works differently. New construction DOM typically starts when the builder lists the completed home on the MLS. Homes sold during the pre-construction phase don't accumulate DOM because they weren't publicly marketed as available inventory.