When to list – Timing is everything

When you are selling your home the details matter, especially the timing of listing. The day you list, the time you list, and your initial marketing push will make a massive difference, especially in a tough market.

When to list:

• Thursdays tend to be the best day to list a property. There are many factors that may influence the day of the week however, if time is on your side, wait until Thursday. Many showings happen on the weekends and Thursdays allows buyers to receive the notifications on Friday and get the showing scheduled for the weekend.
• When your Realtor lists the property on MLS, it is not immediately on Realtor.ca. It is directly sent to those with matching search criteria however new listings, price changes, photo updates, or open house info are only pushed to Realtor.ca a few times a day.
• List early afternoon or prior. Days on market (DOM) matter so it doesn’t make sense to have your property listed late at night. No one will see it and there will be an additional day on the market.
• If you’re starting your marketing with an open house, it’s also best to list on a Thursday. This is not only effective in creating urgency around the open house, but it is also usually most convenient for the seller as they can often accommodate the initial push of showings during the open house.

When NOT to list:

• Don’t list on a long weekend. People are often busy or out of town, or their Realtor might be so the listing is less likely to get the attention it deserves.
• When there are major events like school letting out, the first week of school, or the Calgary Stampede, people may be distracted and unable to view the property.

There are circumstances when it’s important to get on the market as fast as you can or to list the day before you head out of town for a few weeks but when possible, have a strategy. The most showings will usually come within the first few days of listing as people are sent notifications of new listings. If they’re distracted and don’t view their notifications, you miss out on potential buyers.