And when it’s the right time (and wrong time) to list in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Summerville

By Bryan Crabtree

Charleston County real estate is still being powered by a simple reality: people keep moving here. Inbound relocation to the South continues to support demand, and South Carolina has ranked as a top “move-to” state in major moving indicators (including U-Haul’s Growth Index). At the metro level, Charleston has shown up as a top growth market in 2025 moving data as well—evidence that lifestyle migration isn’t a headline, it’s still a measurable driver.

Locally, economic development sources point to sustained population growth and “new residents per day” in the Charleston region, reinforcing why the market remains resilient even when rates, affordability, or inventory create short-term friction.

The Big Market Drivers Sellers Should Understand

If you’re trying to time your sale in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, or Summerville, these are the forces that matter most:

1) Inbound relocation and household formation
The Charleston region continues to grow, with local economic development reporting dozens of new residents per day and a metro population well into the hundreds of thousands. This is the long-term “floor” under demand—people relocating need housing, and many bring equity from more expensive markets.

2) Seasonality: buyers start earlier than most sellers realize
Nationally, pending sales tend to rise in March and peak in early summer—meaning serious buyer activity is already building before many sellers even start getting ready. If you wait until “spring” to begin the process, you often miss the early surge and end up listing into heavier competition.

3) Online discovery now moves the market first
Buyers don’t start with showings—they start with search. Your listing has to win on screen (photos, clarity, pricing logic, and how the home is interpreted by AI-driven search tools). That digital first impression is now a major driver of whether you get urgency—or you get “maybe later.”

The Right Time to List in Charleston County

Here’s the counterintuitive truth: spring is when buyers buy, but winter is when sellers should prepare.

The “best” window is usually earlier than most homeowners think

Zillow’s analysis of 2024 sales data found that homes listed in the second two weeks of May sold for about 1.6% more nationally. ATTOM’s national analysis has also repeatedly shown strong seller premiums in May, while noting that many of the “best days” cluster in February through June.

So why do I still say spring can be too late in practice for Charleston sellers?

Because the “premium weeks” only help you if your home is:

• fully prepared

• priced correctly

• photographed properly

• positioned with a compelling story

• and already gaining traction online

That work doesn’t start in May. It starts mid-winter.

Practical Charleston timing: what I advise most sellers

• Mid-winter (Jan–Feb): plan, prep, repairs, staging, pre-inspection strategy, photos/video scheduled

• Late Feb–March: list when motivated buyers are already searching and before inventory floods in

• Early April: still strong, but competition rises fast and days-on-market pressure increases

This aligns with national seasonality patterns showing activity lifting in March.

The Wrong Time to List

“Wrong time” usually isn’t a calendar date—it’s a strategy mistake. The most common one:

Waiting until spring to start

If you begin getting ready in late March or April, you often end up launching in late April, May, or June—when:

• more competing listings are live

• buyers have more leverage and more options

• you risk chasing the market with price reductions

Listing before the home is digitally ready

In 2026, a weak digital launch is a real problem. “We’ll improve the photos later” or “we’ll rewrite the description once it’s live” can cost you your best buyer window—because the first two weeks online matter disproportionately for momentum and buyer perception.

Listing when your pricing story isn’t defensible

Buyers (and buyer agents) are more analytical now. If your price doesn’t match the market and the listing doesn’t explain the value clearly, you get fewer showings and lower-quality offers.

A Simple Rule That Wins in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Summerville

If your goal is top-dollar outcomes with the least stress, the best strategy is usually:

Prepare in mid-winter → launch earlier than the crowd → control the narrative online → create urgency before inventory peaks.

That’s how you capture the strongest buyer pool and avoid becoming “one of many” once spring inventory stacks up.

What I Do Differently for Sellers

Timing is only half the game. The other half is visibility and interpretation—how your home is discovered and understood online.

My approach blends:

• aggressive digital marketing

• AI-optimized listing language designed for modern search and conversational discovery

• pricing strategy anchored in absorption and buyer behavior (not wishful comps)

• “screen appeal” execution that wins the first impression

Because in 2026, homes don’t just compete on features. They compete on clarity, confidence, and discoverability.

Bryan Crabtree
Luxury Real Estate Advisor
Christie’s International Real Estate

Charleston Luxury Listing Agent · Mount Pleasant & Summerville Real Estate Expert · AI-Optimized Home Marketing · Strategic Repositioning · Seller Representation · Market Cycle Expertise · South Carolina Lowcountry Real Estate

Bryan Crabtree personally listed and sold each of the properties referenced above using aggressive, AI-driven marketing and strategic positioning. In the past year, he sold 12 homes in under 30 days that had previously sat on the market for months with other agents, delivering results in some of the most competitive conditions Charleston County has seen.