Days-on-market, or DOM, is one of the first numbers sellers ask about and one of the most frequently misunderstood. It is not simply a measure of how fast homes sell. When you read it correctly, DOM tells a much richer story about demand, pricing accuracy, and buyer psychology in your specific neighborhood.
What DOM actually measures
Days-on-market counts the days from the date a listing goes active on the MLS to the date a contract is executed. It does not include the pre-marketing period, the time under contract, or any delays caused by inspection or appraisal issues. It is a snapshot of how long a home sat on the market before a buyer committed.
In the DC Metro area, average DOM varies significantly by neighborhood, price point, and property type. A well-priced home in a desirable Arlington neighborhood might receive offers in under two weeks. A luxury property in Loudoun County might take 60 to 90 days. Neither outcome is inherently good or bad. The question is whether the DOM matches expectations for that specific market segment.
Why the average can be misleading
Averages blend everything together: well-priced homes that sell quickly and overpriced homes that linger. If the average DOM in your zip code is 21 days but your home has been listed for 45, that gap is telling you something important. It might indicate pricing, condition, marketing, or a combination of all three.
Claude reviews DOM by price band and neighborhood micro-market, not just the zip code average. This gives a much more accurate picture of what "normal" looks like for your specific home.
What rising or falling DOM signals
When DOM trends upward across a market segment, it often signals that buyers are becoming more selective, inventory is growing, or pricing is outpacing demand. When DOM trends downward, it suggests competition is increasing and buyers are acting more quickly.
In the DMV, DOM trends can shift quickly. Montgomery County might show tightening inventory and falling DOM in the spring, while Fairfax County sees a different pattern depending on school calendar timing and new construction inventory. These are the nuances that matter when you are deciding when and how to list.
The practical takeaway
Before you list, ask your agent to show you DOM data broken down by price band, neighborhood, and property type. Not just the overall average. Not just the zip code. The specific, granular data that tells you how long homes like yours are taking to sell, and why. That is the information that drives a smart pricing and marketing strategy, and it is the foundation of every listing conversation Claude has with sellers.
Claude Labbe
REALTOR · Douglas Elliman · DC, MD, VA