Days on market (DOM) is the number of calendar days between a property listing going live and an accepted offer. It is the clearest, most timely signal of local supply-demand balance — updated every time a listing closes.
How DOM Is Calculated
ZipMarketData uses Redfin's public market data, which calculates median DOM across all closed sales in a ZIP code for the most recent calendar month. Median is preferable to mean here because a handful of stale overpriced listings skew averages.
DOM Benchmarks by Market Type
| DOM Range | Market Type | Investor Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 10 days | Extreme seller's market | Expect bidding wars, waived contingencies |
| 11 – 21 days | Hot seller's market | Move fast; little negotiation room |
| 22 – 35 days | Warm / balanced | Some negotiation possible; normal due diligence |
| 36 – 60 days | Cooling market | Price reductions likely; buyer has leverage |
| 60+ days | Buyer's market | Negotiate hard; inspect everything |
Seasonal Adjustments
DOM naturally rises in winter (Nov–Jan) and compresses in spring (Mar–May). Always compare year-over-year to remove seasonality — a 35-day DOM in January may be better than a 35-day DOM in April for the same ZIP code.
Pulling DOM Data from the API
Track DOM month-over-month across a portfolio of target ZIP codes to spot markets transitioning from hot to warm — that's often the best entry window before prices cool but competition has already eased.