Realtor.com®: September 27th - October 3rd Marks the Best Time to Buy a Home in 2026

Buyers may find 31.9% more active listings than at the start of the year and save roughly $14,000 compared with the summer price peak

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The best time to buy a home in 2026 is right around the corner. According to the Realtor.com^® 2026 Best Time to Buy Report, the week of September 27–October 3 offers home shoppers the most favorable balance of inventory, lower listing prices, reduced competition and a more manageable market pace.

During the Best Week, buyers may find up to 31.9% more active listings than at the start of the year. Listing prices are projected to be 3.5% below their seasonal peak, which could translate to roughly $14,000 in savings on a median-priced home of about $416,000. Competition, measured by Realtor.com listing views per property, is historically 30.1% below its annual peak during this week.

"Home shoppers heading into fall will find an opportunity that has been hard to come by in recent years: more choices and less urgency. With mortgage rates still elevated above year-ago levels, and offering buyers little relief on the financing side, this fall window is a clear opportunity for buyers to make up some ground elsewhere," said Hannah Jones, senior economist, Realtor.com^®. "The week of September 27–October 3 brings together the market conditions buyers value most—elevated inventory, less competition and prices that have eased from their seasonal high—giving prepared buyers a way to offset high rates with savings on price and room to negotiate with confidence. "

The 2026 housing market entered the year on firmer footing before higher mortgage rates through much of the summer tempered momentum. At the same time, active listings have continued to grow year over year, though they remain about 11% below pre-pandemic levels nationally. Softer buyer demand and a slower market pace have helped shift conditions toward buyers, creating an especially favorable backdrop for the seasonal advantages of early fall.

Why Is Late September and Early October the Best Time to Buy?

The Best Week ranks highest across six seasonal supply-and-demand measures: active listings, fresh listings, listing prices, time on market, homebuyer demand and price reductions. For buyers, it offers a balanced mix of advantages:

• Plentiful listings: The Best Week is expected to have 13.3% more active listings than the average week and 31.9% more than at the start of the year, creating more opportunities to find the right fit.
• Less competition: Buyer demand is historically 30.1% lower than its annual peak and 14.4% lower than the average week, giving shoppers more breathing room.
• A more manageable pace: Based on seasonal trends and a cooling market, homes are expected to spend roughly 64 days on market during the Best Week—about 13 days longer than the year's peak pace.
• Lower post-peak prices: Listing prices typically fall 3.5% from their seasonal high by the Best Week. This year, that seasonal shift could mean roughly $14,000 in savings compared with the summer peak on a median-priced home of about $416,000.
• More negotiating room: Historically, 5.7% of homes see price reductions during the Best Week, one of the strongest weeks of the year for seller price drops.
• Fresh options: The Best Week historically brings 20.0% more new listings than the start of the year, an important consideration for buyers with specific needs.

"Buyers should use this window strategically rather than treating one week as a deadline," Jones said. "Shopping earlier in the fall may provide the broadest selection of fresh listings, while waiting later in the season may bring additional price flexibility. The right choice depends on a buyer's budget, timeline and local market, but preparation—including understanding a realistic monthly payment and getting pre-approved—will be especially valuable this fall."

Local Market Sweet Spots

The national Best Week aligns with the best time to buy in 14 of the 50 largest U.S. metros, including Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Riverside. In the large markets where the local best week aligns with the national timing, buyers historically see 17.6% more listings than the typical week of the year, 36.1% less competition than the annual peak, about two additional weeks on market and listing prices 5.7% below peak levels.

Different seasonal trends mean that the Best Week varies by metro. New York and Milwaukee have the earliest Best Weeks, both in early September. Miami and Tampa have the latest, with their most favorable buyer conditions occurring November 29–December 5. Overall, 42 of the 50 largest metros have a Best Week within a month of the national Best Week, underscoring widespread buyer-friendly conditions across September and October.

Even in a rebalancing market, local conditions and personal priorities matter. Buyers focused on choice may benefit from acting earlier in the season, while those prioritizing price may find more savings later in the fall as demand softens toward the holidays. Buyers can explore local listings and personalize their search at Realtor.com.

Best Time to Buy - Top 50 Largest Metro Areas

Methodology
Realtor.com analyzed six supply and demand metrics at a national and metropolitan level that follow seasonal patterns, using data for the 2018-2025 period (2020 data was omitted due to anomalies caused by the pandemic). Those metrics analyzed include: 1) listing prices, 2) inventory levels, 3) new "fresh" listings, 4) time on market, 5) homebuyer demand (Realtor.com views per property) and 6) price reductions. Interest rates, which do not follow seasonal patterns, were not included.

Each week of the year was scored from 0 to 100 based on the number of active listings. A given week scored highly if it had more listings compared to other weeks of the year. The other metrics were scored in the same way, such that each week had six different scores for active listings, new listings, listing prices, days on market, price reductions, and views per property. (In the case of prices, lower prices score higher. Same with views per property).

Each week was then ranked by the average of those scores. The week with the highest composite score was considered the best time to buy. This week represents a balanced view of market conditions favorable for buyers.

About Realtor.com^®
For over 30 years, Realtor.com^® has connected buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 real estate site REALTOR® agents recommend, Realtor.com® delivers consumer connections and a robust suite of marketing tools to support business growth. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc.

Media Contact: Mallory Micetich, press@realtor.com

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SOURCE Realtor.com