Big Jump in Showings This Week, But Timing Still Matters

Between Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, graduations, school events, travel, and the general chaos of spring, timing matters more right now than many sellers realize.

And this week, one thing stood out clearly:

Showings jumped.

That matters because showing activity is one of the earliest and most reliable signs of real buyer engagement. Buyers are still out there. They are still looking. They are still writing offers. But they are also getting pulled in a dozen different directions, which means sellers need to be more strategic about when they come to market.

Demand Is Still There

Despite all the distractions that come with May, buyer activity is running stronger than it was this time last year. Pending contracts are also coming in ahead of last year, which tells us demand has not disappeared.

That is the good news.

The more important news is that buyer behavior is becoming more timing-sensitive. In other words, the market is active, but you need to catch it when buyers are paying attention.

Mother’s Day and Memorial Day Are Not the Same

Holiday weekends do not affect the market equally.

Mother’s Day weekend usually trims a Sunday out of the normal showing pattern. That tends to reduce showing activity by about 10 to 15 percent. Buyers do not vanish. They are just busy with family plans, brunches, and everything else that comes with the weekend.

What is interesting is what happens before that.

The Monday and Tuesday leading into Mother’s Day weekend are often stronger than normal as buyers try to get ahead of their schedules. That creates a window sellers can use to their advantage.

Memorial Day weekend is a different story.

That one tends to hit much harder, with showing activity often dropping by 35 to 45 percent. That is not just a little holiday softness. That is a real interruption in momentum, and momentum matters. Lose it at the wrong time and you can end up with more days on market, weaker leverage, and more negotiation than you wanted.

What Sellers Should Do Right Now

If you are listing around Mother’s Day, the smart move is usually to go live on a Monday or Tuesday. That puts your home in front of buyers during the strongest part of the week and gives you the best chance to build attention before the weekend slowdown.

If your timeline falls near Memorial Day, do not casually drift into that weekend and hope for the best. That is how listings lose steam.

The better move is to either:

• list earlier and capture activity before the holiday slowdown, or
• wait until the following week when buyers are back in town and paying attention again

The Bottom Line

May is not a bad time to sell.

It is just a time that rewards strategy.

The sellers who win in May are not the ones who sit on the sidelines. They are the ones who understand how buyers behave during a busy, distracted month and position their homes accordingly.

This week’s jump in showings is a strong reminder that demand is still here. But in a market like this, timing, presentation, and pricing all have to work together.

If you are thinking about selling and want to time it right, I’m happy to help you map out the best launch window for your home.