Autumn vs spring: what season is the better seller?

22 February 2023

"REIWA CEO Cath Hart said March was typically one of the most active months for sales in Perth, with numbers sitting at similar levels or higher than November, according to data from reiwa.com"

Spring might be known as the selling season, but Autumn often steals its crown.

REIWA CEO Cath Hart said March was typically one of the most active months for sales in Perth, with numbers sitting at similar levels or higher than November, according to data from reiwa.com.

“Perth is already gearing up for a strong autumn,” she said.

“The number of new listings, or stock coming onto the market, has been increasing over the past few weeks and is trending at similar levels to the past few years.

“The number of sales is robust and properties are still selling quickly, which is keeping the number of available listings at any given time at low levels.”

Ms Hart said reiwa.com data showed the market had a regular pattern.

“There are strong peaks in the number of sales in March and November and smaller peaks in May and August, with troughs of varying levels in between,” she said.

“2020 was an exception, but that is not a surprise. It was the start of the COVID pandemic, with the real estate industry and community having to adapt to a range of new and strict restrictions.”

Graph of Perth's average monthly sales from January to December 2022

Ms Hart said peaks and troughs occurred for a variety of reasons.

“On a weekly basis we often notice the number of sales declines when there is a long weekend or public holiday. For example, there were 836 sales reported the week of Australia Day this year. This rose to 1,036 the following week,” she said. 

“Similarly, you’ll often see troughs around school holidays and Christmas. People often go away or are busy with other things so are less likely to be actively looking for a home.  

“There is usually a peak in November as people often try and finalise their property transaction and move in before Christmas. Activity then slows significantly over the festive season and into January. Data from reiwa.com shows sales usually start to pick up in February leading towards the March peak.”

Ms Hart said another factor contributing towards troughs was the time it took to bring a house to market.

“People who buy in a peak may then have to sell their current home,” she said.

“It can often take several weeks or even months before a property is ready to go to market. So people who buy in August might then list their home for sale in September or October, creating the next peak in November.”

While the market experienced regular peaks and troughs, Ms Hart said there was no right or wrong time of year to sell.

“The market doesn’t stop, there are buyers at any time of year,” she said.

“Each season has its advantages and disadvantage. For example, in Spring or Autumn the gardens often look great, showcasing properties to their best advantage, and there may be more buyers out and about. However, with more properties listed you face greater competition from other sellers.

“In Winter there may be fewer buyers, but those looking are usually committed to finding a home. There is also less competition from other sellers, which makes it easier for your property to stand out from the crowd.

“The best time to sell is when you are ready. Whatever time of year that is, speak to your agent about the best way to present your property and the best strategy to maximise the sale price.”

Perth 2012 - 2022 (excl. 2020)	Monthly Average
January	2,135
February	2,430
March	2,590
April	2,241
May	2,522
June	2,352
July	2,305
August	2,327
September	2,162
October	2,436
November	2,532
December	1,901