Realtor.com®: September 27th - October 3rd Marks the Best Time to Buy a Home in 2026
Historical data suggest late September to early October 2026 will offer more listings, lower prices, and softer competition for U.S. homebuyers.
Rhea-AI Summary
Realtor.com (NWS) projects that the week of September 27–October 3, 2026 will be the best time to buy a home in 2026 based on historical patterns.
During this “Best Week,” buyers may see up to 31.9% more active listings than at the start of the year and listing prices about 3.5% below the seasonal peak, which could equal roughly $14,000 in savings on a median-priced home of about $416,000. Competition, measured by listing views per property, is historically 30.1% below its annual peak, and homes are expected to spend about 64 days on market, roughly 13 days longer than the year’s fastest pace. Around 5.7% of homes typically see price reductions, and fresh listings are historically 20.0% higher than at the start of the year.
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Key Figures
- Best Week
- September 27–October 3
- 2026 national home-buying window
- Active Listings
- 31.9% more
- Compared with the start of 2026
- Listing Prices
- 3.5% below peak
- Compared with the seasonal listing-price peak
- Potential Savings
- $14,000
- On a median-priced home of about $416,000 versus the summer peak
- Competition
- 30.1% below peak
- Realtor.com listing views per property versus the annual peak
- Days on Market
- About 64 days
- Expected during the Best Week
- Price Reductions
- 5.7% of homes
- Homes seeing price reductions during the Best Week
- New Listings
- 20.0% more
- Compared with the start of 2026
Historical Context
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Realtor.com reported lower luxury housing price thresholds across national and local markets.
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Realtor.com reported softer demand, lower prices and increased active listings nationally.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Buyers may find
During the Best Week, buyers may find up to
"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
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 and31.9% 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 and14.4% 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 $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,"
Local Market Sweet Spots
The national Best Week aligns with the best time to buy in 14 of the 50 largest
Different seasonal trends mean that the Best Week varies by metro.
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
|
Metro |
Best Week |
Active |
Views |
Days |
Median |
New |
Price |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+13.3 % |
-30.1 % |
+13 days |
-3.5 % |
+0.4 % |
1.2 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+14.6 % |
-34.9 % |
+13 days |
-4.2 % |
+0.4 % |
1.5 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+22.1 % |
-42.6 % |
+26 days |
-6.6 % |
-7.0 % |
2.2 % |
|
|
October 11 - 17 |
+18.4 % |
-34.8 % |
+11 days |
-5.1 % |
+0.5 % |
1.4 % |
|
|
October 18 - 24 |
+11.5 % |
-30.3 % |
+18 days |
-3.9 % |
-11.8 % |
0.8 % |
|
|
October 25 - 31 |
+20.9 % |
-39.8 % |
+22 days |
-6.7 % |
-10.0 % |
1.7 % |
|
|
November 8 - 14 |
+14.9 % |
-48.7 % |
+26 days |
-11.8 % |
-16.9 % |
0.1 % |
|
|
November 1 - 7 |
+17.5 % |
-38.0 % |
+17 days |
-5.7 % |
-10.5 % |
1.0 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+16.8 % |
-33.5 % |
+10 days |
-5.8 % |
-0.6 % |
1.4 % |
|
|
October 11 - 17 |
+22.2 % |
-31.4 % |
+11 days |
-10.1 % |
-0.3 % |
1.7 % |
|
|
October 18 - 24 |
+20.1 % |
-31.0 % |
+12 days |
-8.7 % |
-1.6 % |
1.5 % |
|
|
October 4 - 10 |
+26.3 % |
-43.8 % |
+16 days |
-9.7 % |
+3.2 % |
2.2 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+18.8 % |
-39.3 % |
+17 days |
-6.5 % |
-1.2 % |
1.9 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+30.4 % |
-46.2 % |
+21 days |
-7.5 % |
-2.2 % |
2.7 % |
|
|
October 4 - 10 |
+21.8 % |
-42.7 % |
+12 days |
-8.7 % |
+0.6 % |
1.6 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+15.7 % |
-35.7 % |
+19 days |
-6.9 % |
+1.7 % |
1.3 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+10.4 % |
-37.1 % |
+15 days |
-3.9 % |
-4.4 % |
1.1 % |
|
|
October 25 - 31 |
+26.2 % |
-39.0 % |
+15 days |
-9.3 % |
-9.7 % |
2.1 % |
|
|
October 25 - 31 |
+13.8 % |
-40.6 % |
+18 days |
-7.1 % |
-9.4 % |
0.8 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+19.4 % |
-29.8 % |
+10 days |
-8.2 % |
+5.5 % |
1.5 % |
|
|
October 4 - 10 |
+15.0 % |
-43.2 % |
+12 days |
-4.3 % |
+4.7 % |
2.0 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+13.4 % |
-39.8 % |
+13 days |
-5.7 % |
-0.5 % |
1.1 % |
|
|
November 1 - 7 |
+22.7 % |
-35.4 % |
+12 days |
-8.9 % |
-4.3 % |
1.7 % |
|
|
September 20 - 26 |
+13.5 % |
-29.4 % |
+12 days |
-5.0 % |
-0.1 % |
1.2 % |
|
|
November 29 - December 5 |
+7.0 % |
-35.4 % |
+14 days |
-3.7 % |
-6.0 % |
0.4 % |
|
|
September 6 - 12 |
+15.5 % |
-32.7 % |
+8 days |
-6.9 % |
+23.6 % |
1.4 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+25.5 % |
-35.7 % |
+12 days |
-8.0 % |
-0.6 % |
2.2 % |
|
|
October 4 - 10 |
+18.8 % |
-34.5 % |
+12 days |
-5.0 % |
+8.4 % |
1.4 % |
|
|
September 6 - 12 |
+7.9 % |
-24.3 % |
+18 days |
-3.2 % |
+15.3 % |
0.4 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+12.9 % |
-31.6 % |
+12 days |
-6.2 % |
-5.9 % |
1.2 % |
|
|
October 25 - 31 |
+12.3 % |
-38.0 % |
+15 days |
-3.8 % |
-8.4 % |
0.7 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+12.3 % |
-30.7 % |
+12 days |
-3.0 % |
+5.9 % |
1.4 % |
|
|
November 1 - 7 |
+16.4 % |
-39.1 % |
+10 days |
-5.6 % |
+16.3 % |
1.0 % |
|
|
October 25 - 31 |
+17.3 % |
-33.6 % |
+14 days |
-7.7 % |
-10.1 % |
1.3 % |
|
|
October 25 - 31 |
+17.1 % |
-41.1 % |
+28 days |
-4.3 % |
+24.9 % |
0.7 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+20.8 % |
-31.3 % |
+10 days |
-4.4 % |
+12.7 % |
1.5 % |
|
|
November 1 - 7 |
+19.9 % |
-36.6 % |
+20 days |
-5.7 % |
-6.7 % |
1.8 % |
|
|
October 25 - 31 |
+17.6 % |
-33.8 % |
+12 days |
-7.0 % |
-0.7 % |
1.1 % |
|
|
September 27 - October 3 |
+13.3 % |
-37.4 % |
+12 days |
-2.2 % |
+3.4 % |
1.2 % |
|
|
September 13 - 19 |
+24.2 % |
-42.6 % |
+15 days |
-5.1 % |
+10.8 % |
1.6 % |
|
|
October 4 - 10 |
+30.9 % |
-38.2 % |
+16 days |
-7.4 % |
+1.9 % |
2.3 % |
|
|
October 4 - 10 |
+15.9 % |
-35.9 % |
+15 days |
-4.7 % |
+14.4 % |
1.3 % |
|
|
October 11 - 17 |
+15.3 % |
-40.7 % |
+12 days |
-6.6 % |
+1.1 % |
1.1 % |
|
|
October 11 - 17 |
+27.5 % |
-45.3 % |
+13 days |
-6.6 % |
+0.8 % |
1.7 % |
|
|
October 18 - 24 |
+17.3 % |
-46.3 % |
+20 days |
-8.3 % |
-15.2 % |
1.7 % |
|
|
October 18 - 24 |
+31.9 % |
-52.4 % |
+22 days |
-7.5 % |
+16.5 % |
1.3 % |
|
|
October 25 - 31 |
+15.8 % |
-31.1 % |
+12 days |
-5.4 % |
-9.0 % |
1.4 % |
|
|
November 29 - December 5 |
+12.7 % |
-43.4 % |
+19 days |
-4.9 % |
-12.4 % |
0.3 % |
|
|
November 1 - 7 |
+21.1 % |
-35.7 % |
+9 days |
-4.6 % |
-0.6 % |
1.1 % |
|
|
September 20 - 26 |
+13.4 % |
-30.1 % |
+13 days |
-3.2 % |
+4.0 % |
1.6 % |
|
|
October 11 - 17 |
+20.8 % |
-38.2 % |
+12 days |
-5.7 % |
-3.1 % |
1.4 % |
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
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realtorcom-september-27th---october-3rd-marks-the-best-time-to-buy-a-home-in-2026-302875854.html
SOURCE Realtor.com
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What specific advantages does the 2026 Best Week offer to homebuyers?
The week of September 27–October 3, 2026 combines several buyer-friendly conditions: up to 31.9% more active listings than at the start of the year, listing prices typically about 3.5% below their seasonal peak, competition about 30.1% lower than the annual high based on listing views, roughly 64 days on market—about 13 days slower than the peak pace—plus a historical 5.7% share of homes with price reductions and 20.0% more new listings than at the year’s start.
How does the best time to buy vary across major U.S. metro areas?
The national Best Week aligns with the local best week in 14 of the 50 largest metros, including Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Riverside. In these aligned metros, buyers historically see 17.6% more listings than a typical week, 36.1% less competition than the annual peak, about two additional weeks on market and listing prices 5.7% below peak levels. Overall, 42 of the 50 largest metros have their best week within about a month of the national Best Week.
How did Realtor.com determine the 2026 Best Week to Buy?
Realtor.com analyzed weekly national and metro-level data from 2018–2025, excluding 2020, across six seasonally patterned metrics: listing prices, inventory levels, new listings, time on market, homebuyer demand (views per property) and price reductions. Each week received a 0–100 score for each metric, with more listings, more new listings, more price reductions, lower prices and fewer listing views scoring higher. The composite of these six scores identified the week with the most favorable overall conditions for buyers. Interest rates were not included because they do not follow clear seasonal patterns.
How does Realtor.com suggest buyers use this fall 2026 window?
Realtor.com’s economist advises buyers to treat the Best Week as an opportunity window rather than a hard deadline. Shopping earlier in the fall may provide the broadest selection of fresh listings, while waiting later in the season may offer more price flexibility as demand softens. The company emphasizes preparation—such as understanding a realistic monthly payment and obtaining pre-approval—as especially valuable for taking advantage of conditions in fall 2026.