Days on Market:
What It Really Means

DOM is the most misunderstood number in real estate. Here's what a 23-year banking professional sees when they look at it — and how to use it as a negotiation weapon.

The DOM Scale — What the Numbers Tell You

What High DOM Actually Signals

When a listing has been on the market 60+ days, one of these is almost always true:

• Overpriced — the most common reason by far. The market has spoken.
• Condition issues — inspections revealed problems, buyers walked.
• Location problems — flight path, traffic, school district, commercial neighbor.
• Title or legal issues — less common but more serious.
• Poor marketing — bad photos, wrong pricing strategy (rare but real).

High DOM is not automatically a red flag for buyers — it's an opportunity signal. A seller who's been on the market 90 days is almost always more negotiable than one who listed last week.

The "Re-Listed" Trick

Watch for listings with suspiciously low DOM that were previously listed. Many agents pull a listing and re-list it to reset the DOM counter. Always check the full listing history, not just current DOM.

On Zillow, look for "Price History" — this shows previous listing periods. On Redfin, "Listing History" shows every time the property hit the market.

DOM as a Negotiation Tool

After 23 years in banking, here's how I'd use DOM in negotiations:

• 30 DOM: Offer at 97-98% of list. Seller is still hopeful.
• 45 DOM: Offer at 95-96%. First price reduction is coming or already happened.
• 60 DOM: Offer at 92-94%. Seller is motivated. Ask for closing cost concessions.
• 90+ DOM: Start at 88-90%. They've already mentally reduced the price — you're negotiating from their new floor.

FRC Buyer Demand Score vs DOM

The FRC Buyer Demand Score combines DOM, price cut frequency, and listing-to-sale ratios to give a single 0-100 market health score. Currently, 91% of US listings score COLD — meaning the average American listing has been sitting too long and sellers have pricing power issues.

Not financial advice. Educational content based on 23 years of mortgage and real estate experience.