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Rebound in Housing Demand to Peak by Mid-April, Realtor.com Says

3:20 PM ET 03/18/2026 - MT Newswires

The week of April 12 to 18 will be this year's best time to sell a house, the online real estate portal said.

Based on historical data, listings receive about 17% more views during the period, compared with the average week, while homes sell about nine days faster, according to the report.

Conditions this year look "slightly better" than last year amid modestly higher home sales and prices on average, Realtor.com said.

Mortgage rates are now near some of the lowest levels in almost four years, which should encourage prospective buyers to return from the sidelines, the report showed. Earlier this year, mortgage rates fell into the 5% range for the first time in more than three years.

"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. "This shift doesn't just mean more options; lower rates and tempered price growth should give buyers some budget breathing room."

Prices of homes in mid-April are usually 1.3% higher than the average week throughout the year, and up 6.6% since the start of the year, according to the report. Based on these seasonal trends, Realtor.com sees the national median listing price possibly reaching $5,300 above the average week, and $26,000 higher than the level at the beginning of the year.

"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," Hale said.

Early this month, Zillow (Z, ZG) said that the US housing market looks set to rebound this spring after a three-year slump, as home values gained in February for the first time in seven months and existing home sales improved.

Price: 27.22, Change: -0.15, Percent Change: -0.55