Days On Market
Days on market (DOM) is the scoreboard every seller watches — it counts how many days your home has been listed for sale without an accepted offer. The higher that number climbs, the more use buyers think they have.
How DOM Is Calculated
The clock starts the day your listing goes active on the MLS and stops when you accept an offer (not when the sale closes). If your home hits the market on March 1st and you accept an offer on March 22nd, your DOM is 21 days.
Most MLS systems also track cumulative days on market (CDOM), which includes previous listing periods. So if you pull your listing off the market and relist it 30 days later, the CDOM keeps counting from the original date. Agents can’t game the system by relisting to reset the clock — at least not on CDOM.
What’s a Good Number?
It varies wildly by market. In hot cities like Austin or Raleigh, homes regularly go under contract in 5-10 days. In slower rural markets, 60-90 days might be perfectly normal. The key is comparing your DOM to the local average, not some national benchmark.
A home sitting at 2x the local average DOM is sending a clear signal: something’s off. Usually it’s price. Sometimes it’s condition or photos.
Why DOM Matters to Sellers
High DOM is a red flag that attracts lowball offers. Buyers see a home that’s been sitting for 60+ days and assume there’s a problem — even if the only issue was an ambitious listing price. Every week that passes without an offer weakens your negotiating position.
There’s a psychological threshold around 30 days. After that, buyer agents start coaching their clients to offer below asking price because “the seller is getting desperate.”
How to Keep DOM Low
Price it right from day one. Get professional photos. Make sure the home is show-ready before listing. The first two weeks on market generate the most buyer interest, and you only get one first impression.
If you’re approaching 21 days with no offers, talk to your agent about a price adjustment rather than waiting it out. The selling guide covers pricing strategies in detail, and a net proceeds calculator helps you see the impact of price drops on your take-home amount.