Everything You Need to Know About Seasonality in Real Estate
How market activity changes through the year—and how to navigate it strategically.
In a previous post, I shared why timing the market isn’t the goal. Timing your life is.
But there’s one kind of timing that actually is worth paying attention to:
The natural seasonality of real estate.
If your personal timing is right, financially, emotionally, or logistically, then understanding the seasonal rhythm of the market can help you be more strategic.
It’s not about chasing the perfect deal. It’s about knowing when the energy shifts, when buyers compete, when sellers hesitate, and where your leverage might quietly show up.
🏡 First: Yes, Real Estate Has Seasons
These seasons don’t follow the weather—they follow human behavior:
When people are most likely to be paying attention
When they have time to shop or move
When they’re mentally checked in (or completely checked out)
There’s a rhythm to this market. And smart buyers learn how to move with it—not against it.
📅 Bay Area Seasonality Breakdown
Spring (Feb–April): High Energy, High Competition
This is when the market wakes up.
New listings hit weekly, open houses are packed, and buyer energy runs high.
It’s a good time to shop if you want more options, but you’ll likely be competing with others who are just as ready as you are. Bidding wars are common. Prices reflect demand.
Spring is fast, emotional, and crowded. It works well for decisive buyers who are fully prepped.
Summer (May–August): Softer Competition, More Leverage
Summer slows things down.
People travel.
Buyers who’ve been shopping since spring. Making offers, getting outbid, stretching their weekends across open houses, and they’re tired. So they step back to regroup.
Add in weddings, vacations, and general seasonal distractions, and suddenly the pool of active buyers thins out.
Homes still come to market, but many of them sit longer than they would in spring.
This is when sellers start to feel the quiet, and savvy buyers start to see opportunity.
Fall (Sept–Oct): The Second Wave
Fall brings focus.
School is back in session. Summer distractions are over. Serious buyers return with renewed clarity.
Sellers often want to get into contract before the holidays, which can mean more flexibility on timing or terms.
There’s less inventory than in spring, but the pace feels more grounded. A great window if you’re prepared.
Winter (Nov–Jan): Quiet, Focused, and Often Overlooked
This is the quietest season, but that doesn’t mean it’s without opportunity.
There are fewer listings, yes, but also far fewer buyers actively shopping. And that shift in energy can work in your favor.
If you’re prepared to act when others are paused, winter can offer calm negotiations, less pressure, and sometimes surprising deals.
How to Use Seasonality to Your Advantage
Summer and winter are often overlooked by buyers, but they can be incredibly smart times to make a move, especially if you're open to homes that have been sitting on the market.
And here’s the thing:
A property sitting for 30+ days doesn’t always mean something is wrong.
Sometimes it just launched at the wrong time, was priced too high, or had poor marketing.
In fact, I’ve seen great homes sit quietly in the East Bay or in the condo market—not because they’re flawed, but because the buzz around them faded.
That’s where thoughtful negotiation and deeper digging really come into play.
This is where you can lean on your agent—to surface overlooked listings, evaluate what’s real and what’s not, and structure a deal that actually works for you.
Earlier this year, I was working with buyers who were shopping in the winter—when most people had paused their search.
We toured a few homes that had been sitting on the market for weeks. One of them checked all the right boxes. Nothing alarming. No major red flags. Just... sitting.
We saw the opportunity, and moved.
We negotiated a lower price, more time for the move, and a closing credit that helped with upfront costs.
Not because we swooped in with perfect timing. But because we understood the season, and used it to our advantage.
I love helping clients spot the kinds of opportunities others miss.
Finding the value. Asking the right questions.
Negotiating not just on price, but on terms that support the bigger picture.
Seasonality is one of the most underused tools in real estate.
But with the right guidance, it becomes a quiet advantage.
Speaking of seasonality and summer travels…
I’m headed to Vancouver this week for 4th of July. Excited to explore the outdoors, reset, and soak up a little fresh perspective (and maybe peek at a few neighborhoods while I’m at it).
So there won’t be a new post next week as I take a pause to observe the summer holidays. Back in your inbox the week after.
Hope you enjoy the 4th! and are able to soak up the sunny (and equally foggy) days of summer in the Bay or wherever you are. ☀️🌁
Interesting stuff! I think it makes sense to dive deep in the summer then with the less active seekers looking, plus more properties that stay longer on the market.