Overview
- Realtor.com released its 2026 Best Time to Buy report on Monday and identified Sept. 27–Oct. 3 as the national 'best week' for buyers based on eight years of seasonal data.
- The analysis finds active listings could be as much as 31.9% higher than at the start of the year and buyer interest about 30.1% below its annual peak, creating more options and less competition.
- Listing prices during the window are projected to run roughly 3.5% below seasonal highs, which Realtor.com frames as about $14,000 on a median $416,000 home but not a guaranteed closing discount.
- Financing will limit how much buyers benefit because the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits near 6.76%, so any list-price gains can be offset by higher monthly payments and other ownership costs.
- Local timing and market mix vary widely, so Realtors and analysts advise buyers to get preapproved, check city-level data, and use the late-September window as a strategy rather than a hard deadline.