Why Days on Market Is Misunderstood in San Francisco
Days on market is one of the most misunderstood signals in San Francisco real estate. This explainer breaks down why homes sit, how buyers interpret timing, and what days on market actually reveals about pricing, demand, and buyer psychology.
In San Francisco real estate, “Days on Market” is often used as shorthand for how hot — or not — a property is. But DOM alone doesn’t tell you whether a home was strategically priced, repositioned, or quietly rejected by buyers.
To understand what it really means, you have to look at how the listing was managed — and how buyers responded.
1. Offer dates often follow demand
Not every listing launches with an offer date.
Many agents:
List
Run the first weekend
Track showings and disclosure requests
Then decide whether to structure an offer timeline
Disclosure activity is often the clearest early signal. Strong demand leads to an offer date. Moderate demand may not.
A home going pending in 12 days isn’t necessarily “slow.” It may have been intentionally paced around early feedback.
DOM reflects strategy as much as buyer behavior.
2. Pair DOM with online demand signals
By itself, DOM is incomplete.
Paired with:
Saves and views on Zillow/Redfin
Disclosure downloads
Open house traffic
Private tours
It becomes a clearer measure of momentum.
High saves + heavy traffic + low DOM typically signals competition.
Low engagement + rising DOM usually signals hesitation.
3. Pre-emptive offers are a heat check
A pre-emptive offer is submitted before a scheduled review date — usually to avoid competition.
If accepted, DOM stays low because demand was immediate.
If not, that early offer often influences next steps: setting an offer date, tightening pricing posture, or clarifying expectations.
It doesn’t change the clock. It reveals urgency.
4. Re-listing is repositioning
When a home doesn’t sell, it’s rarely relaunched unchanged.
Agents typically:
Review buyer feedback
Assess who showed interest
Identify objections
Adjust price, staging, lighting, or messaging
The goal isn’t simply to reset DOM — it’s to correct misalignment.
DOM won’t show you whether that worked. Listing history will.
5. The market can feel faster than it is
In low-inventory cycles, buyers may lose multiple offers, creating the perception that everything moves instantly.
In reality, two markets often run in parallel:
Well-positioned homes that attract competition quickly
Homes with pricing or functional trade-offs that sit
DOM helps distinguish between them — when read in context.
6. Longer DOM often signals pushback — and sometimes leverage
Extended DOM usually reflects misalignment:
Price ahead of perceived value
Functional compromises (layout, parking, stairs, outlook)
Stronger competing inventory
But a longer DOM can also mean less competition — and negotiation opportunity.
The key question isn’t “How long?” It’s “Why?”
7. Micro-markets matter — sometimes block by block
San Francisco isn’t one market. It’s dozens.
DOM can shift based on:
Street position
Light and outlook
Garage functionality
Noise
Layout flow
Case in point: We recently had a buyer walk away from a home that checked nearly every box — except their car didn’t fit in the garage. That single detail changed the value equation entirely.
From the outside, it may have looked strong. Inside the decision-making process, practical realities carry more weight than headline metrics.
What DOM Actually Tells You
Days on Market isn’t a verdict. It’s a signal.
When interpreted alongside:
Disclosure activity
Online engagement
Offer structure
Listing history
Pricing alignment
It becomes one of the clearest indicators of buyer response.
Without that context, it’s just a number.
Bottom Line
DOM is useful — but incomplete.
In San Francisco’s neighborhood-driven market, pricing precision, strategy, and small functional details shape that number far more than most people realize.
If you’d like perspective on what DOM means for a specific property or neighborhood, I’m happy to provide context.
