Days on market: what the number does and does not tell you

Rob Redziniak

3 days ago

4 min read

Days on market counts how long a home was listed before it went under contract. It is useful as a rough sense of pace, but a county average hides homes that sold in days and homes that sat for months. Read it for your price range and next to the share of list price received.

Tell me what you are looking for, or ask for a home value, and I will help you narrow it down. Use the buyer consultation form or the home value request.

What it measures

Days on market runs from the day a home is listed until it goes under contract, depending on how the system counts. Some reports show cumulative days on market, which adds time from earlier listings of the same home. The definition matters, so ask which one a report uses.

The latest numbers I reported

In my September 2026 update, the average days on market was 53.5, with 64 cumulative days on market across the tri-county area. By county, averages were 51.8 days in Charleston County, 52.1 in Berkeley County and 47.4 in Dorchester County. Sellers received 95.5% of original list price and 98.0% of final list price on average.

Why an average can mislead

An average mixes quick sales with slow ones. A few homes that sit for many months pull the average up, even when many homes sell quickly. That is why I like to look at the spread and at specific price ranges. A home priced well may go under contract in days while an overpriced home sits.

What a long time on market can signal

The price may be above what buyers see as value.
The photos, condition or marketing may not be working.
The home may have a feature buyers weigh heavily, such as flood zone, a busy road or an uncommon layout.
The home may simply have come on in a slow stretch.

None of these is certain. I look at the specific home and ask the listing agent what has happened.

What a short time on market can signal

A short time can mean a well-priced home in demand. It can also mean the home was priced low to attract offers. It does not prove that prices are rising. I read it with the share of list price received.

How buyers can use it

Check how long a home you like has been listed and whether the price has changed. See what a price drop tells you.
Ask whether earlier offers fell through and why.
Do not assume a long listing means a seller will accept any offer.

How sellers can use it

If your home has been on the market longer than similar homes, look at price, condition and presentation first. My post on why a house is not selling goes through a checklist.

A worked example with invented numbers

These numbers are made up to show how an average can mislead. Imagine five homes sold in a month after 10, 12, 15, 20 and 200 days on the market. The average is 51.4 days. The median, the middle value, is 15 days. Four of the five homes sold in under three weeks, and one slow sale pulled the average up. If you read only the average, you might think homes take seven weeks to sell, when most in this example did not.

A checklist for reading the number

Ask whether the figure is an average or a median.
Ask how many sales are in it.
Ask whether time under contract is counted.
Ask whether the clock resets when a listing is withdrawn and relisted.
Compare the number for your price range and area, not the whole county.

Common mistakes

Using one month as a trend.
Assuming a long time on market always means something is wrong with the home.
Assuming a short time on market means you cannot negotiate.
Ignoring the season, since activity changes through the year.

How to use it when you shop

If you see a home that has been listed for a long time, ask why. The answer may be price, condition, location or timing, and the listing agent can often tell you. If a home is new on the market, ask when offers will be reviewed. In both cases, the number is the start of a question and not the answer. I check the history of the listing and compare it with similar homes before we decide how to write an offer.

My take: [ROB INPUT: add one or two sentences of your own view before this is published.]

Frequently asked questions

What is a good number of days on market?

It depends on price range and area. Compare to similar homes nearby and to the same month last year.

Does days on market include time under contract?

Usually it stops at the contract date, but definitions vary. Check the report.

Can days on market reset?

Yes, if a home is relisted. Cumulative days show the full history, which is why I look at both.

Sources, checked October 21, 2026

Where to go next

Keep reading: months of supply explained, what a price drop tells you, how to read a market report. Browse all posts in Market and rates.