By Verl Workman
By the time October rolls around, I can feel the energy in real estate shift. The school year has started, the summer buyers have mostly settled in, and those Saturday open houses don’t have quite the same swarm of shoe-removing couples filing through. It’s tempting to think the market’s gone quiet. But it hasn’t. In fact, it never does.
At Workman Success Systems, we call this The River of Real Estate. I’ve used that phrase for years, because it’s the simplest way I know to explain why homes sell in every season. Because that’s what it is: a current that keeps moving, no matter what month the calendar says. Life doesn’t pause—people still get job transfers, babies still get born, families still split or merge. Those currents push people into buying and selling even when the so-called “season” is over.
And October, it turns out, can be one of the smarter times to dip your toes in the river.
Take the numbers. The National Association of REALTORSⓇ notes that by fall, existing-home sales settle at just under 14,000 a day instead of the nearly 17,000 a day pace you see in the spring. Houses linger longer—41 days on market in October versus 33 in June—and prices cool a bit, around 5% lower in October compared to June (NAR, 2024). I’ve seen that play out year after year in the agents I coach—things don’t stop, they just move differently. Translation: less frenzy, more breathing room.
If you’re a buyer, that’s welcome news. ATTOM, which tracks real estate trends back to 2011, found that October is consistently the best month of the year to buy a house. In May, sellers rake in a premium of 13.1 percent. By October, that number falls to 8.8 percent. That difference alone can cover a remodeled kitchen—or at least a couple of cross-country moving trucks.
Do a little online research and you’ll find this fall’s inventory is 20% higher than it was a year ago, the most homes on the market since July 2020. More houses. Fewer buyers. Less competition. You don’t have to sprint to beat five other offers, and that feels like a gift in today’s market.
Now, for sellers—October isn’t a death sentence for your listing. Far from it. I tell agents all the time that fall sellers are often the most motivated. People selling in October usually aren’t “testing the waters.” They’re moving because of a job, or downsizing, or upsizing before another baby arrives. Fall sellers tend to be more motivated and open to negotiation. Which means deals get done—sometimes more smoothly than in April, when everyone’s stressed and racing.
That’s the beauty of the River of Real Estate. In spring, it’s whitewater—fast, loud, chaotic. By October, it’s calmer, but still moving. The water carries families relocating, retirees chasing warmer winters, newlyweds planting roots, and yes, even people downsizing because the nest finally emptied out. None of that waits for a “perfect” season.
So if you’re thinking about making a move, don’t get hung up on the myth that October is off-limits. For buyers, it’s a chance to catch a house at a softer price and with less drama. For sellers, it’s an opportunity to stand out to serious buyers who actually want to close before the holidays. And for everyone, the process itself can run a little smoother—inspectors, appraisers, and lenders aren’t as buried in backlogs as they were in the summer.
The market in October isn’t dead water. I’ve been through enough Octobers to know it’s just a different stretch of the river—calmer, quieter, but still flowing. The question is whether you’re ready to step in and let the current take you where you need to go.
Let’s Get Started!
Where are you now? Where do you want to go? Are you in a place where your business is thriving? Do you believe having the right coach might be able to help you get there? If the answer is yes, don’t wait. Click the link below, take the assessment, and start your journey toward success today. I promise you’ll walk away with actionable ideas, whether you join our coaching program or not.
Take our 2-minute Find My Fit assessment to get started!
