Realtor.com: The Best Time to Buy a Home in 2026 Is Approaching

Believe it or not, there is a best week to buy a home this year, and it’s just around the corner, according to Realtor.com.

According to the Realtor.com 2026 Best Time to Buy Report, the week of Sept. 27–Oct. 3 offers home shoppers the best balance of inventory, lower listing prices, reduced competition, and a more manageable market pace.

During the Best Week, Realtor.com noted that buyers may find up to 31.9% more active listings than at the start of the year. It said 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, as measured by Realtor.com listing views per property, historically is 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 for Realtor.com. “The week of Sept. 27–Oct. 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. “

Tempered Momentum

Realtor.com noted that this year, the housing market entered the year on firmer footing before higher mortgage rates through much of the summer tempered momentum.

At the same time, Realtor.com said active listings have continued to grow year over year, though they remain about 11% below pre-pandemic levels nationally. It noted that 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 are late September and early October the best time to buy?

Realtor.com noted 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

According to Realtor.com, 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.

It said 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 the market, and listing prices 5.7% below peak levels.

Different seasonal trends mean that the Best Week varies by metro area, Realtor.com said.

According to the website, 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 Nov. 29–Dec. 5.

Overall, Realtor.com noted that 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.

Realtor.com noted that even in a rebalancing market, local conditions and personal priorities matter.

For example, buyers who are 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.