If you’re getting ready to sell your home in Northern Virginia, timing can play a bigger role than you might expect. While prepping your home and choosing the right real estate agent are both essential, when you list can make a real difference — whether your goal is to sell fast or maximize your profit. To help pinpoint the best time to sell a house in Northern Virginia, we turned to local real estate expert Keri Shull, who brings 23 years of experience and proven strategies for drawing in serious buyers. According to Shull, the Northern Virginia housing market continues to be strong, with consistent demand. “The need to understand critical data is more important than ever before because there are different pockets of the market, and it is easy to make a mistake in pricing incorrectly,” she advises. In Northern Virginia, homes usually go under contract approximately 20 days after being listed. This timeframe, called days on market (DOM), measures the duration from listing to contract signing. By comparison, the national average DOM currently sits at 53 days. The median sale price in the area is roughly $770,000, showing a 1.3% decrease over the past year. So, what does all this mean if you’re planning to sell? While demand in Northern Virginia remains steady, it’s still important to price your home correctly and make a strong first impression to attract serious offers quickly. “There are many things impacting the market in Northern Virginia — interest rates, job instability, and consumer confidence,” says Shull. Northern Virginia generally experiences seasonal cycles where sales activity picks up during the spring. This indicates that the best selling window for maximizing your sale price falls between February and May. If your goal is to sell quickly, the best time to sell a house in Northern Virginia begins in January. Since it usually takes 20 days to locate a buyer and roughly 40 days for the buyer’s financing to finalize, it’s often recommended that you list your property two to three months before the peak selling period. “The spring market tends to be the most popular answer, but in my opinion, the best way to determine the ideal timing is to look at current inventory, the absorption, and failure rate,” says Shull. Let’s review local sales data to identify the best time to sell a house in Northern Virginia — whether your priority is to achieve the highest sale price or a quick closing. “Weather can absolutely impact the market trends. In the coldest months, it is harder, as an example, to get people out to open houses, but the buyers tend to be very motivated and serious,” says Shull. For further details about selling trends in other areas, visit our Best Time to Sell Calculator. Using this information as a foundation, you’ll be ready to connect with a top-performing real estate agent in Northern Virginia who can advise you on the best month to sell your home based on your neighborhood, personal circumstances, and current market conditions.Northern Virginia housing trends
When is the best time to sell a house in Northern Virginia?
Best times to sell a house in Alexandria
Selling objective
List month
Close month
Benefit
Best time for higher price
January
April
You could sell your house for 4.02% more than the yearly average.
Best time to sell fast
February
May
You could sell your house 7 days sooner than if listed in other months.
Best times to sell a house in Arlington
Selling objective
List month
Close month
Benefit
Best time for higher price
February
May
You could sell your house for 3.92% more than the yearly average.
Best time to sell fast
February
May
You could sell your house 8 days sooner than if listed in other months.
Best times to sell a house in Fairfax
Selling objective
List month
Close month
Benefit
Best time for higher price
February
May
You could sell your house for 6.73% more than the yearly average.
Best time to sell fast
January
April
You could sell your house 8 days sooner than if listed in other months.
Best times to sell a house in Falls Church
Selling objective
List month
Close month
Benefit
Best time for higher price
February
May
You could sell your house for 14.42% more than the yearly average.
Best time to sell fast
January
April
You could sell your house 7 days sooner than if listed in other months.
Best times to sell a house in Manassas
Selling objective
List month
Close month
Benefit
Best time for higher price
March
June
You could sell your house for 3.60% more than the yearly average.
Best time to sell fast
January
April
You could sell your house 6 days sooner than if listed in other months.
