On one of the Real Estate message boards that I follow there is a controversial discussion going on about Days on Market. In an effort to get a home in front of more buyers and also to curb the questions, "why has this house been on the market for that many days, is there something wrong with it?" listing agents sometimes cancel or withdraw a listing and re-list it so that it shows as "new." The agents marketing the property feel that this is appropriate marketing because their goal is to get the sellers' property sold and if taking it off the market and re-listing it gets more buyers and agents and subsequently the house sells, the listing agent has succeeded in their job to get their clients' house sold. Other agents believe that this practice is wrong and is misrepresentation. They believe that the practice lacks integrity and they question the other agents' integrity. Right or wrong, this marketing tactic is out there. One thing that it definitely does do is skew statistical data on days on market unless all expired, cancelled, withdrawn and re-listed listings are accounted for. The history is there. If you are a buyer, have your Realtor pull the history on the property. How long has it been on the market? When was it last sold? For how much? What is the lien amount on the property? These can be negotiating factors and help you to determine the motivation of a seller. However, don't be fooled or frightened away by long days on market. Just the mere fact that a property has been on the market for a long time does not necessarily mean there is something wrong with it or that it hasn't gotten any offers on it. Some properties have received offers that never got to an acceptance and don't show in the records. Sometimes the seller simply is not motivated. But sometimes these properties can be a steal of a deal too. In this market especially, use Days on Market as a tool.