How Many Showings Does It Take to Sell a House on Average?

Showing averages

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the typical U.S. home spent 33 days on the market in September 2025, five days longer than the same period last year.

With this figure in mind, if you schedule one to three showings per week, you’ll likely show your house four to 12 times before it goes under contract. If you’re in a hot market, you might field five to seven showings a week, resulting in over 20 showings before your listing goes from “active” to “pending.”

“It only takes one showing to sell a house,” says Brett Keyser, a HomeLight Elite Agent in Sarasota, Florida, who sells properties 59% faster than the typical agent in his market.

“However, if you are above 15 showings without an offer, I would advise digging into why buyers are not offering on the property, whether it’s price, condition, layout, etc.”

Anthony Navarro, a top agent in San Francisco, California, with 20 years of experience, says that while private showings tend to fall within the 10-25 range, there are other ways to increase foot traffic to your listing.

“In my market, I usually do two weekends of open houses, one broker’s tour, one twilight open house, and private showings in between. In total, for a starter home, we would do about 100 showings,” he explains.

Typical length of a showing

Most home showings last about 15 to 45 minutes, just enough for buyers to get a real feel for the place. During that time, they’re imagining their furniture in the rooms, checking the flow, and picturing themselves living there.

Some serious buyers might linger longer, measuring spaces, testing light switches, and peeking into closets. Showings can feel short or long depending on how curious the buyer is. Sellers should expect a mix, with some quick walkthroughs, while others are deep dives. Knowing this helps you stay ready and makes the whole showing process a bit less stressful.

Do you have to show your home?

When you’re selling a house while living in it, showings are one of the most inconvenient steps.

Sight-unseen offers from buyers have increased in recent years due to the development of virtual tours, video listings, and digital walkthroughs. However, this trend was more pronounced during the pandemic housing boom, when the competition was fierce, and travel was somewhat restricted.

Given the current market’s high home prices and elevated mortgage rates, buyers want to be sure they’re making a sound investment — and that means touring properties in person.

“Yes, we have more closings without the buyer seeing the home, but the reality is that they’d prefer to see it before they write an offer,” says Michelle Harrington, a top real estate agent based in Bellingham, Washington.

Is there any way to avoid showings?

You’re not alone in dreading the lack of privacy and added stress of showings, and there is an alternative.

In recent years, a group of tech companies called iBuyers has made it easier to sell your house almost completely online and without the need for showings. These firms use technology to value homes and provide near-instant offers on homes they’re willing to buy, typically those in good condition in areas with homogenous housing.

HomeLight offers iBuying services through Simple Sale. If you’d prefer not to market your home, you can request a no-obligation cash offer from this platform.

With Simple Sale, you can skip repairs, staging, and even showing your home. Fill out this quiz so we can learn more about what type of home you’re selling, how much work it needs, and how soon you want to sell.

Then, we’ll present you with an all-cash offer within 24 hours. If you accept the offer, you can close the sale in as little as 7 days. You can also avoid the dreaded double move by selecting a move-out date that fits your schedule, up to 30 days after closing. We provide cash offers for homes all over the country in almost any condition.

Below, you can hear about how Baohan Wu, a seller who used Simple Sale to sell his high-rise apartment, closed within three and a half weeks, and what he thought of the process overall.

Top factors that affect showing volume

The average number of showings needed to sell a house might be higher than what you hope to see, but these are simply estimates. A good real estate agent can help you attract a quick offer, reducing the number of times a house has to be shown.

“In a regular market, we say that after 10 showings, if you don’t have an offer in hand, your home is either priced incorrectly or marketed incorrectly,” says Harrington.

So what does a home need to sell in fewer showings? The three most important variables are the home’s condition, the location, and the price, explains Harrington, with price and condition being the two within control of the seller. Ahead, we’ll review the top factors that can influence showing volume.

Market conditions

In a buyer’s market (defined as more than six months of inventory), there are more homes for sale than buyers. Buyers have a greater selection of properties to choose from, which may result in reduced showing activity per home. These showings might span over a longer period.

In a seller’s market (defined as less than six months of inventory), there are significantly fewer homes for sale than buyers. You may experience a rush of showings as soon as your home hits the market. Or, your first showing could lead to an offer since buyers know they are under heightened pressure to make a decision.

Linda Fuller, a top agent in Macon, Georgia, who works with 80% more single-family homes than her peers, says that buyers in her market typically attend 10 to 18 showings before they find ‘the one.’

She recalled working with buyers who are relocating from Colorado, “We looked at about 14 houses, and put an offer in on one — but it had concerns,” explains Fuller. “They terminated, but may be coming back to this same home, as there are so few homes to choose from that have what they are looking for.”

The unsold housing inventory has risen by 1.3% in September 2025, reaching 1.55 million units, which equals about 4.6 months of supply. For sellers, this means more homes are on the market, giving buyers more choices. As a result, sellers may need to host more showings to attract serious buyers and stay competitive.

Time of year

The timing of your sale also impacts the amount of attention your home is likely to receive and the number of showings you’ll need to accommodate before you get an offer.

Nationwide data from HomeLight’s Best Time to Sell Calculator shows that homes listed in April sell, on average, up to six days faster than average.

If you’re in a four-season climate, you will likely see less sales activity from November to January due to the smaller pool of buyers. When kids are in school and holiday preparations are underway, buyers tend to put their home-buying plans on the back burner.

In the warmer months, casual buyers may browse real estate listings and pop into open houses as a hobby, resulting in more showings booked by house hunters in various stages of their buying journey.

On the flip side, no one is trudging through snow and booking a showing on a cold, dark winter evening unless they’re highly motivated to buy. So selling during fall and winter might mean fewer showings but more serious buyers coming through.

Price range

Showing volume may vary depending on your property’s price point. Luxury homes in the top 10% of a market’s property values will generally see slower showing activity since fewer buyers can afford them.

Houses in the starter-home or trade-up range are within budget for more house shoppers. The NAR data shows that 24% of buyers are first-timers with a median household income of $97,000, whereas repeat buyers have a median household income of $114,300.

Property condition

Will a buyer walk into your home and see a tidy, decluttered space that smells fresh and is moderately updated? Or will they see a list of projects they’ll need to tackle? The state of the home — whether it’s in poor condition or turnkey — can affect how many showings it takes to sell a house.

A recent survey suggests that 56% of Americans would prefer a move-in-ready property. To make the most of each showing, do a deep clean, purge clutter, and make light repairs.

“Cleanliness is the most important thing,” Harrington says. “People want the house in good condition. They can’t see past the smells or dirty carpets.”

However, a niche group of buyers who intend to flip the home or have a limited budget may be intrigued to tour a fixer-upper.

To boost your showing volume on a home that needs work, be transparent that your home needs some TLC and would be perfect for a buyer looking for a bargain.

You can note that the cost of repairs has been factored into the price and that inspections are for a buyer’s informational purposes only.

Curb appeal

Great curb appeal can help attract buyers, while a messy yard will likely suppress showing activity. A professional photo of your home’s exterior will serve as the book cover for your property listing across all the home search websites.

If buyers like what they see from the outside, they will be intrigued to flip through the next few photos and hopefully review your entire listing. From there, they may text their agent to book a showing for 235 Peach Street, and it all started with the thought: “Oh, that house is cute!”

Location

“Location is always what creates the value of real estate,” says Harrington. “If you’re in a house that has phenomenal views in a great neighborhood, and it’s totally dilapidated but priced right, it’ll sell.”

Location factors, such as great school districts, nearby shops and restaurants, proximity to public green space, and easy access to commuter routes, usually create higher demand for your property and robust showing activity.

But there is no singular “good” location. Buyers have different priorities and preferences. And if your home isn’t in the best part of town, you can work with your agent to improve showing activity by highlighting your home’s other strengths.

Agent quality

Top real estate agents prioritize a smooth and efficient showing process for their sellers. Not only will they coordinate showing requests on your behalf, they will put all of their real estate expertise behind finding a qualified buyer for your home in the shortest amount of time possible.

Without an agent’s assistance, finding a buyer will likely take longer. You could end up hosting unnecessary showings with buyers who aren’t qualified or fail to get the attention of buyers who might have made an offer.

If you aren’t sure where to begin your search, let HomeLight connect you with two or three top-rated agents in your area. It only takes two minutes to get matched with quality candidates who can help reduce the burden of showing your home.

How many showings to sell a house?

It’s impossible to predict the exact number of times you’ll need to show your home before it sells. But by allowing buyers to experience your home firsthand, you also give them the chance to fall in love with it in the same way you did. The effort could lead to an offer that makes all the hassles worth it.

If you have a great real estate agent, you’ll likely be able to impress buyers who come through and get an offer faster. But remember — if you don’t want strangers entering the home, you can always request a cash offer from Simple Sale and skip the whole process.

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