"Days on market" is the home's report card from the market. It tells you how long it took real buyers to say yes at the current price and condition. Read correctly, it gives you a read on demand, pricing accuracy, and how much leverage you realistically have before you write an offer or set a list price.
Here's how to actually use it.
What "Days on Market" Actually Measures
DOM is the number of days a property is listed as active on the MLS until the seller accepts an offer and marks it pending or under contract.
A few things it is NOT:
- It is not the time to close. DOM stops when a buyer goes under contract, not when they get keys.
- It is not a universal standard. Every MLS calculates it slightly differently. Some reset the clock when a listing cancels and re-lists. Columbus REALTORS tracks cumulative days on market (CDOM), which does not reset on re-lists, so you get a cleaner picture.
- It is not meaningful in a vacuum. A home at 45 days on market means something different in Westerville in February than it does in a hot Gahanna price band in April. Always compare against the current average for that specific submarket and price range.
Nationally, the median days to go under contract was running around 36 days in late 2025 per NAR data. Columbus has historically moved faster than the national average in most price bands, especially under $600K.
What Low DOM Usually Tells You
A home going under contract faster than the submarket average signals one of two things: strong demand or sharp pricing. Often both.
In practice, homes that go under contract in the first two weeks in Columbus tend to close at or above asking price. Multiple offers are common in that window. If you're a buyer on a home with a short DOM, expect competition. Come in clean, come in close to full price, and have your financing locked.
For sellers, low DOM in your neighborhood is data. It tells you the market is active for correctly priced homes. That's not a reason to overprice -- it's a reason to price precisely, because correctly priced homes in competitive submarkets get tested quickly.
Short DOM alone does not mean a home was underpriced. It can just mean it was priced accurately in a market with real demand.
What High DOM Usually Tells You
High DOM is a yellow flag, not an automatic deal-breaker. But it almost always means something worth understanding.
The most common reasons a home in Columbus sits longer than the submarket average:
Overpricing. This is the most common cause by a wide margin. When a home is listed above what buyers in that price range are willing to pay for its condition and location, they skip it. The longer it sits, the more buyers assume something is wrong -- even if the only problem was the original price.
Condition or presentation. A home that photographs poorly, has deferred maintenance visible at first look, or simply doesn't show well will accumulate days faster than a comparable home that's staged and sharp. In a competitive market, buyers have options.
Location specifics. Backing to a major road, a corner lot with traffic, a problematic neighboring property -- these things can be priced around, but sellers who don't price around them watch the DOM climb.
Market shift mid-listing. Rates moved, a new comparable came on, or the market softened after they listed. This is the situation most sellers don't anticipate.
As DOM climbs, two things tend to happen: sellers become more motivated, and buyers start treating the listing as a negotiating opportunity. A home that has been sitting 60 or 90 days in a market where most homes move in 20 is a conversation about price and terms.
High DOM should make you ask sharper questions, not walk away automatically. Sometimes the underlying value is real and the price needs adjustment. Sometimes there's a defect worth knowing about. A good buyer's agent helps you figure out which one it is before you write an offer.
How to Use DOM Practically
If you're a buyer:
Compare the home's DOM to the current average for that specific submarket and price band. Westerville, Powell, New Albany, and Gahanna all have their own rhythms. Comparing a Westerville listing to metro-wide averages tells you almost nothing.
Low DOM plus a fresh listing means you're probably in competition. Budget time and negotiating room accordingly. High DOM plus a listing that has been sitting well past the submarket norm means there's almost always a conversation to have on price or terms -- provided inspections check out.
One other thing worth watching: how many times has the listing been canceled and re-listed? That history shows up in cumulative DOM on the Columbus REALTORS MLS data and is one of the first things I pull when a buyer asks about a property that looks artificially "fresh."
If you're a seller:
The first two to three weeks on market are when you see the strongest activity. Buyers who have been watching that submarket and price range move immediately when something new and correctly priced hits. If you price to the market, you'll see showings and offers in that window. If you don't, you miss that window and watch the DOM climb.
If you're past your submarket's average DOM without serious offers, that's almost never "the market." It's a pricing, condition, or presentation problem. The answer is a real conversation with your agent about what needs to change, not patience.
The Columbus Submarket Difference
DOM varies meaningfully across central Ohio submarkets. A home priced at $450K in the Olentangy Local School District footprint in Lewis Center or Westerville has historically moved faster than a similar price point in certain Columbus ZIP codes where inventory is deeper. A luxury listing in New Albany or Dublin at $1M+ runs on a longer timeline by nature -- the buyer pool is smaller.
When I'm working with a buyer or a seller, I pull the current submarket average for that specific price range and type before we set strategy. Metro-wide averages are a headline. Submarket data is what you actually use.
If you're looking at a specific property in Columbus, Westerville, or anywhere in central Ohio and want to know what its days on market is actually telling you, I'm glad to pull the data and give you a straight read on what it means for price and leverage.
Call or text me at 937-239-2919, or schedule time at calendly.com/adam-geuy.
Adam Geuy, Realtor - NextHome Experience | ABR, SRS, PSA | License #202000794