New 8-Year Study: Days on Market, Not Season, Drives Home Prices in Oak Park

OAK PARK, IL, September 15, 2026. As the fall market begins, many Oak Park homebuyers are holding off in hopes of seasonal bargains. A new study from Berg Properties suggests that strategy may not pay off.

Scott Berg, broker and Oak Park native, analyzed eight years of MRED ConnectMLS data covering 3,608 closed single-family home sales in Oak Park from 2018 through 2025. The research was featured in the Wednesday Journal's September 3 article, "Fall real estate market underway – for better and worse," which looked at whether traditional ideas about the fall market still hold.

The key findings:

• Listing age matters most. Homes that went under contract within seven days sold at a median 100.74% of list price. Homes on the market 180 days or more sold at 96.51%. On a $750,000 home, that gap is more than $30,000.
• Season matters less than expected. Spring listings sold at a median 100.0% of list and fall listings at 98.3%, a gap of just 1.7 points.
• Fall looks softer because of leftover spring homes. New fall listings that sold within three weeks got 100% of list, the same as spring. The fall average is pulled down by spring listings that sat through the summer and didn't sell until fall.
• 45 days is the tipping point. Homes under contract in fewer than 45 days sold at a median 100.0% of list. Homes on the market longer sold at 96.9%.

"Buyers ask me the same question every August: should we wait until fall?" said Berg. "The data shows the calendar matters much less than people think. The real opportunity is finding homes that have been sitting, and you can do that in any month."

Berg also told the Wednesday Journal that the findings matter for sellers: a well-priced home sells in any season, and in most cases there's no reason to wait until spring to list.

The full study, including charts, year-by-year results, and a practical guide for buyers, is available at:
https://oakparkexpert.com/oak-park/market-seasonality/

Read the Wednesday Journal article:
https://www.oakpark.com/2026/09/03/fall-real-estate-market-underway/

About Berg Properties
Scott Berg grew up in Oak Park and River Forest and has more than 20 years of real estate experience, with over 1,700 transactions and more than $700 million in sales volume. Berg Properties serves buyers and sellers throughout Oak Park, River Forest, and the surrounding communities.