Days on Market
Age of the current listing
Days on market counts how long a property has been actively advertised for sale. It comes from the listing portals, and the counter starts the day the advert goes live. The figure reads the local market rather than the home itself. It tracks demand, pricing and negotiating room, not the property's condition or quality.
What This Means
A figure under 30 days means you are early, and probably competing. Expect the asking price to hold, and expect a low offer to be refused. Past 90 days the position reverses, and a seller waiting months is often open to a lower offer. Long marketing usually reflects an optimistic asking price, so a keen offer is still worth making. The market also slows in winter and over the festive period, which lifts the figure. The counter can reset when a property is withdrawn and re-listed, or when the seller changes agent. So a listing that looks new may have been on and off the market for far longer.
Score Ranges
Fast
Up to 30 daysA quick sale by UK standards, common in busier local markets.
Average
31 to 90 daysAround average for much of the UK, and unremarkable on its own.
Slow
91 to 180 daysSlower than most listings, and often where a first price reduction appears.
Very slow
Over 180 daysWell beyond a typical marketing period for any UK region.
Practical Advice
- Ask the agent how long comparable homes in this postcode take to sell, rather than using a national average.
- Ask the agent for the full listing history, including withdrawal dates and any change of agent.
- Ask the agent when the asking price last changed, as that date differs from the listing date.
- Look up recent sold prices on this street through HM Land Registry, or Registers of Scotland or Land & Property Services outside England and Wales.