If your house has been sitting on the market since spring, here's the thing nobody's telling you: the clock is louder than it looks.
June and July are when most buyers are actually moving. School's out, the weather cooperates (mostly — we'll get to that), and families want to be unpacked before the first day back. That window doesn't last. Once August hits, a lot of those same buyers pull back. Kids need to start school. Schedules lock in. And homes that are still sitting? They start to look "stale" — even if nothing's actually wrong with them.
That's not me trying to scare you into a decision. It's just how the calendar works in Central Arkansas real estate. If you've been thinking about listing, or your house has been on the market a while without the results you wanted, here's what you need to know before summer slips into fall.
The Stale Listing Problem Is Real — And Fixable
A house that's been listed for two months without an offer doesn't have a "bad house" problem most of the time. It has a perception problem.
Buyers scrolling Zillow see "63 days on market" and start asking questions before they even click in. What's wrong with it? Why hasn't anyone bought it? Is the seller desperate? None of that has to be true for buyers to think it.
The fix usually isn't a price cut. It's a reset — new photos, a stronger story for the listing, and getting it back in front of buyers like it's brand new. I've done this for clients before. It works.
Why Conway, Greenbrier, Vilonia, and the Rest of Central Arkansas Move Fast in Summer
Families relocating to our area — especially the out-of-state buyers I work with a lot — are almost always racing the school calendar. They want to close, move, and get kids registered before the first bell rings. That urgency works in your favor right now. It will not work in your favor in October.
If your home is priced right and shows well, summer buyers are motivated buyers. That's worth something.
What To Do If Your House Has Been Sitting
Get a second opinion on price. Not a Zestimate. An actual comparative market analysis from someone who knows what's closing in your neighborhood right now, not six months ago.
Refresh the listing photos. Light changes everything. If your photos were taken on a gray day in April, they're not doing you any favors in June.
Fix the small stuff buyers notice and agents forget to mention. A burnt-out porch bulb. An overgrown flower bed. The stuff that makes a buyer pause in the driveway before they even walk in.
Don't wait until August to make a move. If you're going to relist, reprice, or rework your strategy, the next few weeks are when it actually matters.
The Bottom Line
Summer in Central Arkansas is a real window — not because anyone benefits from creating urgency about it, but because that's genuinely when the most motivated buyers are out looking. If your house has been on the market a while and isn't getting the activity it should, this is the time to fix that, not next year.
I'm always taking on new clients! If you know someone who needs expert real estate advice, send them my way.
