Days on market is the single most useful number a buyer can look at before making an offer. A listing that's been sitting tells you something real about leverage — you just have to know how to actually use it, rather than just noticing it.
Why days on market matters more than list price
A seller who's watched a home sit for weeks is thinking differently than one who just listed yesterday. Time on market shifts the psychology of a negotiation — sellers become more open to price adjustments, closing cost credits, and flexible terms the longer a home goes unsold, especially once it crosses whatever timeline they'd privately hoped for.
How to use that leverage without overplaying it
Longer days on market gives you room to negotiate, but a lowball offer on a stale listing can still backfire if it reads as disrespectful rather than data-driven. The stronger approach: back your offer with the actual number — "this has been on the market 62 days, comparable homes are selling closer to X" — rather than just offering low and hoping.
Days on market isn't permission to insult the seller with a number — it's data that supports a reasonable one.
What else to look at beyond the days-on-market number
- Price history — has the home already had one or more price reductions? Each one is additional signal.
- Why it's likely sitting — overpricing, condition issues, or just a slow micro-market are different situations that call for different offer strategies.
- Seller motivation — a relocation, an already-purchased next home, or a job deadline all change how much leverage actually exists.
- Comparable recent sales — the number that ultimately grounds your offer, not just how long this one listing has sat.
The bottom line
A buyer's market gives you real leverage, but the buyers who use it well are the ones who back their offer with specific data rather than just assuming a stale listing means the seller will take anything. Know the number, use it respectfully, and you'll negotiate from a position of real strength.