What is Days on Market in real estate?

Days on Market (DOM) measures how long a property has been actively listed for sale on the MLS system. The count starts from the date the listing first goes live and ends when the seller accepts an offer (or the listing is terminated). DOM is one of the most important indicators of how desirable a property is and whether the asking price is appropriate for the current market. A low DOM suggests strong demand; a high DOM suggests pricing or property issues.

What is a good number of Days on Market?

It depends on the market. In a hot seller market, properties sell in under 10 days (and often with multiple offers within days). In a balanced market, 20 to 40 days is typical. In a buyer market, 60+ days is common and does not necessarily signal a problem with the property. Compare DOM to the average for that specific neighbourhood and property type — a condo taking 45 days to sell in downtown Toronto is unusual, but 45 days for a rural property in Northern Ontario is perfectly normal.

Is a high DOM a red flag?

Not always. High DOM can mean the property is overpriced, has condition issues, is in a slow market, or has poor marketing. But it can also mean the property is unique (luxury, rural), has restrictive zoning, or is listed during a slow season. High DOM properties are often the best negotiating opportunities for buyers — the seller may be motivated to accept a lower offer after sitting on the market for weeks or months.

Can sellers reset Days on Market?

Yes, and it happens frequently. Sellers (or their agents) can terminate a listing and relist it as a "new" listing to reset the DOM counter. This is called relisting or list-delist-relist. Most MLS systems also track Cumulative Days on Market (CDOM), which counts total days across all listings of the same property. Sophisticated buyers and agents look at CDOM rather than DOM to see the full picture.

How do Days on Market help when making an offer?

If a property has been on the market significantly longer than the neighbourhood average, the seller may be more motivated to negotiate. You may be able to offer below asking price, request concessions (closing cost credits, repairs), or negotiate a longer closing timeline. Conversely, if a property has very low DOM (just listed), competition may be higher and you may need to offer at or above asking to be competitive.

Days on Market (DOM) in Real Estate: What It Signals & How to Use It (2026)

Days on Market is one of the simplest yet most useful metrics in real estate. Here is how to read DOM like a professional — whether you are buying or selling.

Days on market signals seller motivation and local demand. Use this alongside a comparative market analysis and follow our home buying process guide for the full picture.

How DOM is calculated

Term	Definition
DOM (Days on Market)	Days from the listing date to the date an offer is accepted
CDOM (Cumulative DOM)	Total days across all listing periods (tracks relist/resets)
Active DOM	Only counts days the listing was active (pauses when suspended or terminated)

DOM starts counting when the property is first listed on MLS and stops when:

The seller accepts an offer
The listing is terminated or suspended
The listing expires

Average DOM by Canadian city (2026)

City	Average DOM	Market Condition
Toronto	18–25 days	Balanced to seller’s
Vancouver	20–30 days	Balanced
Calgary	22–32 days	Balanced to seller’s
Ottawa	18–25 days	Balanced
Montreal	35–50 days	Balanced
Edmonton	40–55 days	Buyer’s to balanced
Winnipeg	30–40 days	Balanced
Halifax	20–30 days	Balanced to seller’s
Hamilton	15–25 days	Balanced to seller’s
Kitchener-Waterloo	18–28 days	Balanced

These averages vary significantly by property type and price point. Condos may sit longer than detached homes, and luxury properties ($2M+) typically have much higher DOM.

What DOM signals

For buyers

DOM Range (vs Market Average)	What It May Signal	Buyer Strategy
Well below average (< 7 days)	Hot property, likely multiple offers	Offer quickly, be prepared to compete
At average	Normally priced, normal demand	Standard negotiation approach
Moderately above average (1.5–2× average)	Possible overpricing or minor issues	Room to negotiate — start below asking
Significantly above average (2–3× average)	Likely overpriced or has known issues	Strong negotiating position — investigate why
Extremely high (3×+ average)	Motivated seller, serious issues, or niche property	Low-ball offers may be accepted — due diligence critical

For sellers

DOM Range	What It Signals	Seller Action
Very low (< 7 days, multiple offers)	Priced too low or exceptional property	Consider whether you underpriced
At average	Priced correctly	Stay the course
Above average (no offers)	Overpriced, poor marketing, or condition issues	Price reduction or marketing refresh
Well above average	Serious pricing or perception problem	Significant price reduction, relist, or address property issues

The DOM reset game

Sellers and agents frequently reset DOM by delisting and relisting a property:

Strategy	How It Works	Ethical?
Terminate and relist	Cancel the listing, wait a few days, relist as “new”	Legal but potentially misleading
Change brokerage and relist	Switch to a new agent/brokerage, new listing number	Legal but transparent on CDOM
Price change on existing listing	Reduce price without relisting — DOM continues	Transparent and honest
Seasonal relist	Take listing off market during slow season, relist in spring	Common and reasonable

How to spot a relisted property

Check CDOM — if CDOM is much higher than DOM, the property has been relisted
Search property address history — realtor.ca and agent-access MLS show historical listings
Ask your agent — they can pull the full listing history including previous listing prices
Google the address — cached listings may appear with older listing dates and higher asking prices

How to use DOM when buying

Low DOM properties (hot listings)

If a property has been listed for only a few days and you are interested:

Get your pre-approval ready before you start house-hunting
Schedule a viewing immediately — these sell fast
Be prepared with a competitive offer — at or above asking with few conditions
Have your deposit ready (bank draft or certified cheque)
Know your maximum price — set a ceiling and do not let emotion push you past it

High DOM properties (opportunities)

If a property has been sitting for 2–3× the market average:

Investigate why — is it price, condition, location, or something else?
Research CDOM — how long has it really been available?
Review price history — how many reductions have there been?
Offer below asking — the seller is likely motivated
Include conditions — seller is less likely to reject conditional offers when DOM is high
Use DOM as leverage — “your property has been listed for 90 days — that suggests the market thinks it’s overpriced”

DOM by property type

The “normal” DOM varies significantly by property type:

Property Type	Typical DOM Range	Why
Starter homes (under $500K)	7–20 days	High demand from first-time buyers
Standard family homes ($500K–$1M)	15–35 days	Broad buyer pool
Move-up homes ($1M–$2M)	25–50 days	Smaller buyer pool
Luxury ($2M+)	50–120+ days	Very small buyer pool, niche market
Condos	20–45 days	Often higher inventory, pickier buyers
Rural properties	40–90+ days	Smaller buyer pool, seasonal demand
Land / lots	60–180+ days	Specialized market, development timelines

Seasonal impact on DOM

Season	DOM Trend	Why
Spring (March–May)	Lowest DOM	Peak buyer activity, families want to move before school starts
Summer (June–August)	Moderate DOM	Active but buyers are on vacation, some fatigue
Fall (September–November)	Moderate DOM	Second busy season, slightly less competitive than spring
Winter (December–February)	Highest DOM	Fewer buyers, holiday distractions, weather deters showings

Listing in January in Winnipeg? Expect higher DOM. Listing in April in Toronto? Expect fast action.

Key takeaways

Always look at CDOM (cumulative), not just DOM — sellers regularly reset the counter
Compare DOM to the neighbourhood and property type average, not a national number
High DOM is often an opportunity for buyers — not a red flag
Low DOM in a hot market means you need to be prepared and decisive
Sellers — if your DOM is climbing, the market is telling you something about your price