April is upon us, which means real estate markets are heating up across the country as the end of the school year approaches and warmer temperatures drive up demand for homes.

A new report from Realtor.com shows that the first week of April is the best time of year to list a home in Houston and nationwide.

Based on historical data, April 10-16 will bring about the lowest inventory and highest demand of the year, creating an ideal balance of housing market conditions that give sellers the upper hand.

Homes listed during this week in 2021 received 29% more viewings per listing than any other time during the year. Additionally, the homes sold six days faster than the year’s average.

Realtor.com predicts that the low inventory and high demand for new homes could push asking prices up more than $39,000 (10%) this month compared to initial asking prices in January.

However, while the housing market has favored sellers since the onset of COVID-19, that may change soon.

“Some emerging trends hint at a possible shift in this dynamic, where sellers could potentially lose some leverage as demand from buyers cools slightly in response to rising mortgage rates and supply increases as builders continue to accelerate production,” the report noted. “Getting a head start in front of other sellers may pay off in 2022.”