How long does it take to sell a house?

Written by Michael FrankeLast reviewed: November 2, 2026

In September 2026 a typical U.S. home went under contract in about 33 to 61 days, depending on whose data you use, and a buyer with a mortgage then needed about 37 days to close. That puts a typical financed sale at roughly two to three months from listing to cash in hand. A cash sale skips the lender, so the closing date is whatever buyer and seller agree on.

Key facts

Median time on market, September 2026: 33 days (NAR), 51 days (Redfin), 61 days (Realtor.com). Each measures it differently.
Average time to close a purchase mortgage: 36.8 days in March 2026, the fastest since ICE began tracking in 2019 (ICE).
Cash purchases were 27% of existing-home sales in September 2026 (NAR).

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Time on the market

The numbers differ because NAR counts homes that sold, Redfin counts homes that went under contract, and Realtor.com counts homes still listed. Your own market can be faster or much slower: Realtor.com also reported that 20.8% of active listings had a price cut in September 2026, the highest September share since 2018.

Source (September 2026)	Typical time on market
NAR, existing-home sales	33 days (NAR)
Redfin, U.S. housing market	51 days (Redfin)
Realtor.com, active listings	61 days (Realtor.com release)

Time from accepted offer to closing

Once you accept an offer from a buyer with a mortgage, the lender needs an appraisal, underwriting and final approval. ICE measured the average purchase loan at 36.8 days from application to closing in March 2026: about 11 days to lock a rate and 26 more to close (ICE). Inspection repairs, a low appraisal or a buyer who loses financing all add time or send you back to the start.

A cash buyer does not need a lender, so the closing waits only on title work and payoff statements. Your mortgage servicer must send a payoff statement within seven business days of a written request (12 CFR 1026.36). In our own purchases, the average from accepted offer to closing has been about 12 days.

What actually speeds a sale up

Price it right on day one; price cuts after weeks on the market cost time and money.
Order your mortgage payoff and gather your deed and tax bills early.
Clear title problems such as old liens or a deceased co-owner before you list.
If timing matters more than top dollar, take a cash offer and pick your closing date.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to close on a house with a cash buyer?

There is no published national average for cash closings. It depends on the title search, payoffs and your schedule. Our own average from accepted offer to closing is about 12 days.

Why do NAR, Redfin and Realtor.com give different days on market?

They measure different things: sold homes, homes that went under contract, and homes still listed. Always check which one a number comes from.

What is the slowest part of a traditional sale?

Usually the time on the market before an acceptable offer, followed by the buyer's mortgage approval, which averaged about 37 days in 2026.

Sources

Checked against each source on November 2, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Existing-home sales increased 1.5% in September (Oct 13, 2026) (National Association of Realtors)
U.S. housing market data (September 2026) (Redfin)
Realtor.com September 2026 housing report (syndicated release) (Realtor.com via Finviz)
May 2026 Mortgage Monitor (ICE)
12 CFR 1026.36(c)(3) (payoff statements) (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)