The Best Time to Buy a Home in Seattle

The Seattle real estate market has been anything but ordinary the past two years. 

A confluence of historically low-interest rates, the rise of work from home, and a desire for space upended all norms in the market. Frenzied buying and low inventory characterized the Seattle market, kicking off bidding wars that did not relent for months. 

But as the memory of the pandemic fades, homebuyers are returning to normalcy. And if you are one of the scores of out-of-town buyers trying to make a home in The Emerald City or are a first-time buyer trying your hand at homeownership, knowing when to buy a home can make or break your search.

To help provide new and experienced buyers alike, we devised the below guide covering when it is the best time to buy a home in Seattle. 

How seasons affect home buying in Seattle

Figuring out when to buy a house is complex. It depends on where you are in your life, your financial situation, and what your end goals are. But there are certain times of the year when you can expect more listings to hit the Seattle real estate market. 

Spring is when the majority of people list their homes and buyers are ready to start searching. You can expect to see a surge of homes for sale during April, May, and June, as Seattleites trudge past the dreary winter months to showcase their homes in the best light for the popular spring selling season. 

Another motivator for some buyers and sellers in the spring season is moving before the incoming school season. While this is not the main reason people pick up and move, school enrollment cutoffs push plenty of folks to secure their next home before the summer.. 

Despite most people wanting to sell in the spring or early summer, buyers should not write off finding a home in the winter. While Seattle has a milder winter compared to other areas of the Pacific Northwest, most people still do not want to move in the dead of December. Due to less competition in ordinary winters, you can end up finding a great deal on a home in the colder months and may get a chance to negotiate again. 

Still, the best time to buy a home for most buyers is when your perfect home hits the market. It was common for only two weeks' worth of housing inventory to be on the market throughout the past two years. 

Hopefully, this will change as the market returns to normalcy, and Seattle buyers can expect more homes to go up for sale this year. As more listings start to pop up on the market, you can miss out on the Seattle home of your dreams if you do not keep a pulse of the market. 

That is why you want a buyer's agent at your side. Because as real estate in Seattle becomes cyclical once more, you want a trusted partner that can alert you to new listings. 

Find the best time to purchase with a buyer's agent

As the Seattle market normalizes, many buyers are too busy to maintain tabs on when new listings are available. 

That is why you should partner with a buyer's agent as familiar patterns begin to take hold. Your agent can keep tabs on when new listings hit the market, helping you stay focused on your life. 

Plus, partnering with the right real estate agent can award you a lofty commission rebate depending on how much your home costs. Many buyers and sellers do not know about commission rebates, as it is a relatively new practice. 

Rebates allow a buyer’s agent to provide a portion of their commission to a buyer after closing. These funds can help with escrow costs, expensive mortgage origination fees, and even increase your purchasing power. 

Prevu offers up to 1% of the purchase price back to new homeowners at closing, the largest rebate in Washington State. 

Interested in buying a home? Browse listings in your favorite neighborhood in Seattle and see how much you can save from with Prevu’s Smart Buyer Rebate.