When Is the Best Time of Year to Sell a Home in Whatcom County?
Short answer: the best time is when your home is market-ready and the sale and move appropriately fit your life. I often say, “People don’t sell primarily because the market is perfect for selling. They sell when their life changes.”
That said, Whatcom County’s real estate market has clear seasonal rhythms. Here’s the data I share with clients who have the luxury of choice related to time of year, to best time their sale.
Let’s look at a seasonal graph of sales
We can talk about anecdotal philosophies all day long, but the data is where the rubber meets the road, so let’s start there.
This first graph, below, tells us a seasonal story.
It shows the “Number of New Listings” – think of it as new Active listings of single family homes in Whatcom County, coming on the MLS – over the previous 5 years.
See that wave pattern? The tops of the waves are when there are THE MOST people putting their homes on the market. The bottoms of the waves are the fewest.
The peaks are almost always in September, and bottoms are almost always in March.
What does this graph tell us? Well, it tells buyers that they’re going to have the fewest homes to tour and choose from if they’re shopping in March versus late summer. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to pay more or less for the same home… but we’ll get to that in more detail below.
Let’s look at a seasonal graph of Days on Market
This next graph is the number of days on the market – or how fast the Active listings are accepting offers and going Pending. Again, we have a wave pattern (except for that flat-ish line to the left, which was the Covid 3% interest rate era, where EVERYTHING essentially sold in 5 days with multiple offers.)
The peaks and troughs on the wave patterns above, related to days on market, are OPPOSITE the first graph: the peaks are in March, the troughs are in September.
Meaning, Whatcom County homes take the most time on market to sell in March, and sell fastest in August / September.
Let’s pause here and talk about why this is the case, in terms of, “What is the Whatcom County buyer pool doing in the early spring, as a whole, versus what they’re doing in late summer?”
The buyer pool – or the collection of all buyers actively in the market looking for a home – are, in the spring, generally browsing what’s been on the market through the cold months and watching for a relatively small number of new listings coming on… but they’re doing so with something in mind:
They KNOW that inventory is about to ramp up BIGTIME. We’re about to hit the uptick of more and more sellers bringing their homes, as new listings, onto the market, and many of those buyers are optimistic about “the perfect home” coming on, so they wait.
Meanwhile, in late summer, buyers who haven’t yet chosen a home but need to find and select one, know that the ramping DOWN of inventory is about to occur as the summer comes to an end, school is back in session, and sellers will be settling in for the winter bringing Whatcom County’s inventory down.
So they are EXTRA motivated to buy while the selection is good. So they are going for it!
Let’s look at a seasonal graph of Sale Price as a Percentage of List Price
OK… next graph. This one shows the sale price as a percentage of the original price. Said differently: How strong does the offer need to be to get the house? Are we talking, “We can come in a little low, because we’re the only one at the table?” Or are we talking, “It’s a bidding war, and we’re going to have to escalate over the list price?”
First thing’s first: Since Covid, if we’re looking at all single family home sales across all of Whatcom County, which is what this graph reflects, then we’ve not been in a “you must escalate over list price” environment (on the median), since Covid.
In these past 3 years, the lowest prices (as a percentage of list price) occur in February, and the highest occur in July and August. The most recent year’s peak, Whatcom County wide, peaked at 99.2% of list price – reflecting an overall softening market somewhat. That trend is reflected on the flattened line on the right side of this final graph…
Let’s look at a seasonal graph of Actual Sale Prices
Prices Whatcom County-wide peaked in August, 2024 at a median of $650,000 for a detached single family home. As of this writing, that number has softened slightly to $625K. With rumors of dropping interest rates in the months ahead, the spring of 2026 Whatcom County real estate market is predicted to be BUSTLING!
So what is the key take-away from all of the above data and information?
The real takeaway is this: Yes, Whatcom County has unmistakable seasonal rhythms. Inventory bottoms out in March and peaks in late summer. Days on market are longest in early spring and shortest in August and September. Sale-to-list ratios tend to be softest in February and strongest mid-summer. These patterns matter, and for sellers with the freedom to choose, timing your sale with the market’s natural tailwinds can absolutely make a difference.
But the deeper truth is that the “best time to sell” is almost always the moment your home is ready and your life is aligned. Buyers don’t stop buying in March, and they don’t lose interest in October. Life transitions, job changes, estate situations, downsizing, upsizing – these are the real drivers of a sale. The market simply provides the backdrop. What matters most is presenting a home that is market-ready, priced strategically, and supported by a process that gives you confidence from the first conversation to the closing table.
When you control what you can control – preparation, presentation, pricing, and partnership – the seasonal waves become something we use to your advantage, not something that dictates your decisions. My job is to help you navigate both the rhythms of the market and the realities of your life so you can sell with clarity, confidence, and a strong financial outcome.
If you’re even thinking about selling in the next year, the smartest move you can make is to bring me in early. A quick conversation months before you plan to list can save you time, money, and stress. We will look at your goals, the seasonal patterns, your home’s condition, and the likely market trajectory so you can make decisions with clarity instead of pressure. Early planning gives you more control, more leverage, and often a better result.
If you want to explore timing, strategy, or what your specific home might need to shine, reach out and let’s start the conversation. You don’t need to be ready. You just need to be curious. I’ll walk you through the process and make sure you feel confident every step of the way.
