Winter has really overstayed its welcome this year, but thankfully, signs of renewed life are starting to emerge—and that includes increased activity in the real estate market.
In fact, along with the promise of sunnier days on the horizon, spring includes some of the most auspicious weeks for sellers to experience favorable housing market conditions. Mid-April offers the best average week for sellers overall, according to Realtor.com® economists’ 2025 Best Time To Sell report. However, for five cities in particular—Buffalo, NY, Charlotte, NC, Cincinnati, Grand Rapids, MI, and Seattle—the move from frigid climes to hot-market climbs is happening right now, March 30–April 5.
“Many of these markets have long, cold winters, which means that real estate activity slows significantly,” says Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com. “As the spring warms, sellers flock to the market, which means homeowners should aim a bit earlier in the season to catch the eye of buyers before the market is too full.”
In other words, in these five markets, if you can get your home listed before April Fools’ Day, you may find yourself getting the last laugh in the form of a speedy sale at a higher-than-average price.
1. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Anyone looking to move in the second-largest city in New York state (and home of the chicken wing) would do well to time their listing just as the city begins to thaw.
“New listings fell in February in Buffalo, setting the stage for spring sellers,” says Jones.
That means if you jump into the market this week, you’ll be ready to capitalize just as people start driving through town again on their way to Niagara Falls.
Stats for the week of March 30–April 5:
- Median home list price: $249,974
- Listing price vs. start of the year: +14.8%
- Listing price change vs. start of the year: +$37,000
- Views per property vs. average week: +32%
- Days on the market vs. average week: -7
- Active listings vs. average week: -23.9%
2. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC
Home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte is also racing into a housing sales hot spot this week.
“Charlotte has seen continued price growth, with prices up 4.9% year over year in February, which means sellers are in a good position to attract buyer attention with a well-priced home,” says Jones.
Though it’s more important to make sure your home is ready to list than rushing to get it on the market, sellers in the Charlotte metro area who are ready to move would benefit from revving their engines this week.
Stats for the week of March 30–April 5:
- Median home list price: $419,475
- Listing price vs. start of the year: +5%
- Listing price change vs. start of the year: +$21,000
- Views per property vs. average week: +19.3%
- Days on the market vs. average week: -8
- Active listings vs. average week: -14.9%
3. Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati may have been chilly this winter, but it’s always chili season here. (Fun fact: It has more chili parlors per capita than any city in the country.) But as things start to heat up, the pace of home sales also hits a peak (running well under the national pace for average time on the market). Anyone listing right now in the Cincinnati area, including adjacent Kentucky and Southern Indiana, can take advantage of a market that will have sellers salivating.
Stats for the week of March 30–April 5:
- Median home list price: $324,950
- Listing price vs. start of the year: +15.6%
- Listing price change vs. start of the year: +$50,000
- Views per property vs. average week: +18.3%
- Days on the market vs. average week: -5
- Active listings vs. average week: -18%
4. Grand Rapids, MI
As Michigan’s second-largest city, with a metro-area population of 1.4 million, Grand Rapids is also one of the nation’s top cities for public golf courses. (There are 28 public courses within 15 minutes of downtown.) With that in mind, anyone also looking to up their home-selling game this season could find themselves hitting a hole in one if they list their house this week.
Stats for the week of March 30–April 5:
- Median home list price: $384,725
- Listing price vs. start of the year: +8.9%
- Listing price change vs. start of the year: +$33,000
- Views per property vs. average week: +23.5%
- Days on the market vs. average week: -4
- Active listings vs. average week: -27.1%
5. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Even beyond its futuristic Space Needle, everything about this city in the Pacific Northwest is on point. It’s surrounded by water, forests, mountains, and parkland. It’s also the home of a large tech sector (Amazon and Microsoft), as well as Starbucks. This means you can have city, country, coding, and coffee all co-existing. And anyone listing their home in Seattle this week could also come out with more cash.
Stats for the week of March 30–April 5:
- Median home list price: $737,400
- Listing price vs. start of the year: +10.6%
- Listing price change vs. start of the year: +$77,000
- Views per property vs. average week: +22.7%
- Days on the market vs. average week: -9
- Active listings vs. average week: -32.5%
If you live in one of these five cities but aren’t quite ready to list this week, don’t fret. You can continue to get in on the positive market action even if you make a move later in April.
“Sellers are still in a good position to sell, even if they miss the Best Time To Sell by a couple of weeks,” says Jones. “Since new listings pick up relatively quickly in the spring in these markets, sellers should move quickly, but should also prioritize making sure their home is sale-ready so buyers are excited by what they see.”
