How Many Showings Does It Take to Sell a House on Average?
- Published on
- 13 min read
-
Denise K. James Contributing AuthorClose
Denise K. James Contributing AuthorDenise K. James is a writer and editor who specializes in writing about real estate, small business, travel and lifestyle.
-
Kelsey Morrison EditorClose
Kelsey Morrison EditorKelsey Morrison is an editor for HomeLight's Resource Centers with seven years of editorial experience in the real estate and lifestyle spaces. She previously worked as a commerce editor for World of Good Brands (eHow.com and Cuteness.com), and as an associate editor for Livabl.com. Kelsey holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, and lives in a small mountain town in Southern California.
At HomeLight, our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying. Therefore, we promote strict editorial integrity in each of our posts.
You’re about to put on a cup of tea and curl up with a good book when you get a text from your real estate agent: “Buyer wants to see the house tomorrow. Does 1 p.m. work for you?” You stop mid-relaxation to vacuum, clear countertops, and ask the kids to please put away their toys.
During the appointment, you take the dog to the park and come back an hour later to find the buyer’s car still in the driveway. So you walk around the block again … and again, until the coast is clear. Exasperated, you wonder: “Phew, I don’t know how much longer I can do this. How many showings on average does it take to sell a house?”
Find a top real estate agent near you
We analyze millions of home sales to find real estate agents that sell homes faster and for more money. It takes just two minutes to match you with your personalized recommendations.
Expect to show your house 10 to 25 times to sell it
The number of showings required to sell your home will depend on factors such as the level of competition in the market (is there a surplus or lack of inventory?), whether the home is priced correctly, and if you’ve taken measures to fix up and stage the home to impress.
You could show the house just once or a handful of times and receive multiple offers. Or, your home could be on the market for six months or more, leading to several dozen showings. However, real estate experts estimate that the typical house will be shown somewhere between 10 and 25 times.
Showing averages
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the typical U.S. home spent 26 days on the market in April 2024, four days longer than the same period last year.
With this figure in mind, if you schedule one to three showings per week, you’ll likely show your house four to 11 times before it goes under contract. If you’re in a hot market, you might field five to seven showings a week, resulting in 19 to 26 showings before your listing goes from “active” to “pending.”
“It only takes one showing to sell a house,” says Brett Keyser, a HomeLight Elite Agent in Sarasota, Florida, who sells properties 60% faster than the typical agent in his market.
“However, if you are above 15 showings without an offer, I would advise digging into why buyers are not offering on the property, whether it’s price, condition, layout, etc.”
The NAR SentriLock Home Showings Report indicates that home showings were up 3% year-over-year in April 2024. The frequency of showings increased the most in the Northeast (+26%), followed by the South (+9%), and the West (+2%). The Midwest recorded the only decline in home showings at -4%.
Anthony Navarro, a top agent in San Francisco, California, with nearly 20 years of experience, says that while private showings tend to fall within the 10–25 range, there are other ways to increase foot traffic to your listing.
“In my market, I usually do two weekends of open houses, one broker’s tour, one twilight open house, and private showings in between. In total, for a starter home, we would do about 100 showings,” he explains.
Do you have to show your home?
When you’re selling a house while living in it, showings are one of the most inconvenient steps.
Sight-unseen offers from buyers have increased in recent years due to the development of virtual tours, video listings, and digital walkthroughs. However, this trend was more pronounced during the pandemic housing boom, when the competition was fierce, and travel was somewhat restricted.
Given the current market’s high home prices and elevated mortgage rates, today’s buyers want to be sure they’re making a sound investment — and that means touring properties in person.
“Yes, we have more closings without the buyer seeing the home but the reality is that they’d prefer to see it before they write an offer,” says Michelle Harrington, a top real estate agent based in Bellingham, Washington.
Skip Showings and Request a Cash Offer
Avoid home preparations, staging, and the hassle of repeated showings and go straight to getting a cash offer from HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform.
Is there any way to avoid showings?
You’re not alone in dreading the lack of privacy and added stress of showings, and there is an alternative.
In recent years, a group of companies called iBuyers have made it easier to sell your house almost completely online and without the need for showings. iBuyers use technology to value homes and provide near-instant offers on homes they’re willing to buy, typically those in good condition in areas with homogenous housing.
HomeLight offers iBuying services through our Simple Sale platform. If you’d prefer not to market your home, you can request a no-obligation cash offer from Simple Sale.
With Simple Sale, you can skip repairs, staging, and even showing your home. Tell us a bit about what type of home you’re selling, how much work it needs, and how soon you want to sell.
Then, we’ll present you with an all-cash offer within 24 hours. If you accept the offer, you can close the sale in as little as 10 days. You can also avoid the dreaded double move by selecting a move-out date that fits your schedule, up to 30 days after closing. We provide cash offers for homes all over the country in almost any condition.
Below, you can hear about how Baohan Wu, a seller who used Simple Sale to sell his high-rise apartment, closed within three and a half weeks and what he thought of the process overall.
Top factors that affect showing volume
The average number of showings needed to sell a house might be higher than what you hope to see, but these are simply estimates. A good real estate agent can help you attract a quick offer, reducing the number of times a house has to be shown.
“In a regular market, we say that after 10 showings, if you don’t have an offer in hand, your home is either priced incorrectly or marketed incorrectly,” says Harrington.
So what does a home need to sell in fewer showings? The three most important variables are the home’s condition, the location, and the price, explains Harrington — with price and condition being the two within control of the seller.
Ahead, we’ll review how these factors can influence showing volume.
Market conditions
In a buyer’s market (defined as more than six months of inventory), there are more homes for sale than buyers. Buyers have a greater selection of homes to choose from, which may result in reduced showing activity per home. These showings might span over a longer period.
In a seller’s market (defined as less than six months of inventory), there are significantly fewer homes for sale than buyers. You may experience a rush of showings as soon as your home hits the market. Or, your first showing could lead to an offer since buyers know they are under heightened pressure to make a decision.
Linda Fuller, a top agent in Macon, Georgia, who works with 80% more single-family homes than her peers, says that buyers in her market typically attend 10 to 18 showings before they find ‘the one.’
“I just worked with buyers who are relocating from Colorado, and we looked at about 14 houses, and put an offer in on one — but it had concerns,” explains Fuller. “They terminated, but may be coming back to this same home as there are so few homes to choose from that have what they are looking for.”
Most of the country is currently in seller’s market territory due to low inventory levels. The U.S. faces a housing shortage of an estimated 4 to 7 million homes, and homeowners who obtained ultra-low mortgage rates from 2020–2021 are reluctant to move and take on higher payments. However, in some parts of the country, inventory is steadily increasing as sellers hope to take advantage of higher home prices.
According to existing-home sales data from NAR, the inventory of unsold homes increased 16.3% year-over-year in April 2024. At the current sales pace, it will take 3.5 months for all the homes on the market to sell. This suggests a strong seller’s market; for context, a balanced market has 5–7 months of supply.
| Seller’s market | Expect more showings over a shorter period. |
| Buyer’s market | Expect fewer showings over a longer period. |
Time of year
Seasonality also impacts the amount of attention your home is likely to receive and the number of showings you’ll need to accommodate before you get an offer.
Nationwide data from HomeLight’s Best Time to Sell Calculator shows that homes listed in April sell, on average, up to six days faster.
If you’re in a four-season climate, you will likely see less sales activity from November to January due to the smaller pool of buyers. When kids are in school and holiday preparations are underway, buyers tend to put their home-buying plans on the back burner.
In the warmer months, casual buyers may browse real estate listings and pop into open houses as a hobby, resulting in more showings booked by house hunters in various stages of their buying journey.
On the flip side, no one is trudging through snow and booking a showing on a cold, dark winter evening unless they’re highly motivated to buy. So selling during fall and winter might mean fewer showings but more serious buyers coming through.
| Spring or summer listings | Expect more showings with some tire-kickers who may be in the early stages of buying. |
| Fall or winter listings | Expect fewer showings but with buyers who are motivated to purchase right away and are prepared to make an offer. |
Price range
Showing volume may vary depending on your property’s price point. Luxury homes in the top 10% of a market’s property values will generally see slower showing activity since fewer buyers can afford them.
Houses in the starter-home or trade-up range are within budget for more house shoppers. Data from NAR shows that 32% of buyers are first-timers with a median household income of $95,900, whereas repeat buyers have a median household income of $111,700.
| Homes priced $250,000 or below | Expect a higher-than-average number of showings, particularly if the home has a desirable location and condition. |
| Homes priced $251,000 to $500,000 | Expect an average number of showings since this range includes the median price of homes nationwide. |
| Homes priced $501,000-$1 million | Expect a slightly lower-than-average number of showings, especially if your home is in a less affluent area. |
| Homes priced over $1 million | Expect a smattering of showings unless you live in an affluent or high-priced market like New York or San Francisco. |
Property condition
Will a buyer walk into your home and see a tidy, decluttered space that smells fresh and is moderately updated? Or will they see a list of projects they’ll need to tackle? The state of the home — whether it’s in poor condition or turnkey — will impact your showing volume, too.
A recent survey suggests that nearly 70% of Americans would prefer a move-in ready property, and an additional 67% of buyers don’t want to pay for remodeling or repairs. To make the most of each showing, do a deep clean, purge clutter, and make light repairs.
“Cleanliness is the most important thing,” Harrington says. “People want the house in good condition. They can’t see past the smells or dirty carpets.”
However, a niche group of buyers who intend to flip the home or have a limited budget may be intrigued to tour a fixer-upper. To boost your showing volume on a home that needs work, be transparent that your home needs some TLC and would be perfect for a buyer looking for a bargain. You can note that the cost of repairs has been factored into the price and that inspections are for a buyer’s informational purposes only.
| Needs significant work or teardown | Expect fewer showings from the niche set of buyers who seek a fixer-upper. |
| Needs a little work | Expect an average to high amount of showings. A few needed repairs may lower your price, putting your house into the budget range of more buyers. |
| Move-in ready or needs nothing | Expect a high volume of showings right away, since this is the preferred home condition for most buyers. |
Curb appeal
Great curb appeal can help attract buyers, while a messy yard will likely suppress showing activity. A professional photo of your home’s exterior will serve as the book cover for your property listing across all the home search websites.
If buyers like what they see from the outside, they will be intrigued to flip through the next few photos and hopefully review your entire listing. From there, they may text their agent to book a showing for 235 Peach Street, and it all started with the thought: “Oh, that house is cute!”
A recent NAR survey found that 92% of Realtors suggest that sellers improve their curb appeal before listing it. The top-recommended outdoor updates included landscape maintenance (74%), standard lawn care services (53%), and tree care (44%).
| Manicured and inviting home exterior | Expect to see ample showings from serious buyers right away and potentially quicker offers. |
| Overgrown home exterior with chipped paint and cluttered lawn | Expect quieter showing activity and for it to take longer to sell your home. |
Location
“Location is always what creates the value of real estate,” says Harrington. “If you’re in a house that has phenomenal views in a great neighborhood, and it’s totally dilapidated but priced right, it’ll sell.”
Location factors, such as great school districts, nearby shops and restaurants, proximity to public green space, and easy access to commuter routes, can usually create higher demand for your property and robust showing activity.
But there is no singular “good” location. Buyers have different priorities and preferences. And if your home isn’t in the best part of town, you can work with your agent to improve showing activity by highlighting your home’s other strengths.
| Near the city business district or has great views | Expect high showing demand and a quick offer. |
| Fine location but nothing special about it | Expect an average number of showings and normal timeline. |
| Undesirable location | Expect lower showing demand, and a higher number of showings required to sell, improved by extra efforts to market the home and showcase its positives. |
Agent quality
Top real estate agents prioritize a smooth and efficient showing process for their sellers. Not only will they coordinate showing requests on your behalf, they will put all of their real estate expertise behind finding a qualified buyer for your home in the shortest amount of time possible.
Your agent will:
- Value your home accurately using a comparative market analysis to show buyers you’re priced in line with current market trends.
- Select a price that will help your house show up most visibly in online home search filters.
- Ensure any buyer who books a tour is pre-approved for a mortgage or has proof of funds.
- Put together an eye-catching real estate listing with professional photography and a creative description of the home.
- Possibly provide extras such as a digital walkthrough or 3-D tour to help buyers see more of your house online and reduce in-person showings.
- Make showing instructions to buyer’s agents clear.
Without an agent’s assistance, finding a buyer will likely take longer. You could end up hosting unnecessary showings with buyers who aren’t qualified or fail to get the attention of buyers who might have made an offer.
If you aren’t sure where to begin your search, let HomeLight connect you with two or three top-rated agents in your area. It only takes two minutes to get matched with quality candidates who can help reduce the burden of showing your home.
| No real estate agent | Expect a sporadic showings schedule and the possibility of unqualified buyers coming through your home. |
| Average real estate agent | Expect the typical amount of showings for your market. |
| Top real estate agent who’s familiar with your area | Expect a burst of showings in the first week or two from qualified buyers and the strong possibility of a quick offer. |
How many showings does it take?
It’s impossible to predict the exact number of times you’ll need to show your home before it sells. But by allowing buyers to experience your home firsthand, you also give them the chance to fall in love with it in the same way you did. The effort could lead to an offer that makes all the hassles worth it.
If you have a great real estate agent, it’s likely that you’ll be able to impress buyers who come through and get an offer faster. But remember — if you’re really fed up with the idea of strangers entering the home, you can always request a cash offer and skip the whole process.
Header Image Source: (Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock)
- "Existing-Home Sales Retreated 1.9% in April," NAR (May 2024)
- "NAR SentriLock Home Showings Report," National Association of REALTORS® Research Group (April 2024)
- "Housing experts say there just aren't enough homes in the U.S.," NPR, Mary Louise Kelly, Mia Venkat, Kathryn Fink & William Troop (April 2024)
- "April 2024 Existing-Home Sales Take a Step Back," NAR, Michael Hyman (May 2024)
- "Why the Holidays Are a Good Time to Sell a House," Investopedia, Donna Fuscalado (October 2023)
- "Quick Real Estate Statistics," NAR (March 2024)
- "Which houses get stuck sitting on the market? Home condition makes the difference," Fortune, Amit Arora (June 2023)
