When the listing date is known, should days on market be a forum field?

[cyclesAndSignal]

A recent São Paulo thread added the original listing date, which immediately made me wonder whether the forum should record days on market in a consistent place. At present the number is often buried in the discussion, and regional comparisons become difficult when members calculate it from different starting points.

Perhaps this could begin as an optional structured field rather than another required step. If members find it useful, it could later feed search and filters; if the original date is unknown or a property has been relisted, they could leave it blank or add context. How should older threads be handled, and would mobile users find one extra field manageable?

 

[GoodSignal]

I’d make it an optional structured field rather than a free-form tag. If members type “12 days,” “12d,” and “nearly two weeks,” search becomes messy. A structured entry could still appear like a tag and be searchable, while anyone who does not know the figure can leave it blank.

 

[blueprint.solid]

What date would start the count: when the property was first advertised, when the member found it, or when the forum thread was posted? Relisted or refreshed adverts make that distinction important. A plain days-on-market number could look more precise than the information behind it.

 

[nova.dawn]

I’m against making it required across the board. Some São Paulo market reports discuss several properties, and some valuation questions are not tied to a current listing at all. Requiring a number would encourage guesses just to complete the form. It could appear only for listing threads, with “unknown” available rather than forcing an answer.

 

[blueprint.solid]

That’s a fair caveat. Also, storing “20 days” directly means the tag becomes wrong tomorrow. Better to enter a known listing date and let the forum calculate the age when displayed or searched. Where the original date is uncertain, show “unknown” instead of deriving a misleading figure.

 

[teaAndPath]

Please don’t make moderators backfill old threads or verify dates. Leave older posts as unknown and allow authors to add the field when editing. For consistency, the visible label should be generated by the forum, not created as a member-written tag. That avoids duplicate spellings and keeps regional boards comparable without assuming every market records listings the same way.

 

[yuki_north]

A São Paulo pilot would be sensible before applying it elsewhere. On mobile, one optional “first listed” line could sit with the other thread details rather than adding another posting step or large tag. Then see whether members actually complete it and whether people use the resulting filter. If not, the extra moderation and layout complexity probably isn’t justified.