It is the first question almost every owner asks us: how long will it take to sell my house? The honest answer is that San Miguel de Allende does not have one selling time. Some homes go under contract in a few weeks; others sit on the market for more than a year. The difference is rarely luck.

To answer with data instead of anecdotes, we analyzed the homes (houses, condo houses and apartments) that closed in San Miguel de Allende between January and October 2026, as recorded in RESMA's database of closed sales, and compared them with 2025.

The short answer: about six months

In 2026, the median home took 188 days from listing to closing, slightly faster than the 204 days of 2025. That breaks down into two very different stages: a median of 144 days to reach an accepted offer, and a median of 28 days from accepted offer to closing at the notary.

In other words, most of the wait happens before a buyer says yes. Once a deal is agreed and the paperwork is in order, closings in San Miguel move quickly.

But the median hides two markets

The distribution tells a more useful story than the average. One in four homes (24%) sold in under three months. Another 24% sold in three to six months. But 26% needed six to twelve months, and another 26% took more than a year.

So the real question is not “how long does it take?” but “which group will my home fall into?” The data points to a few clear factors.

Factor 1: the price you start with

This is the single most important variable. In 2026, 37% of the homes that sold had at least one price reduction while listed. Those homes took a median of 241 days to close and sold for 87% of their original asking price. Homes that never needed a reduction closed in a median of 128 days, at 96% of their asking price.

Put simply, starting too high did not protect the seller's price. It cost almost four extra months and, in the end, a lower result relative to where the owner started. As an illustration: a home listed at US$600,000 that has to be reduced would, at the median, close around US$522,000 eight months later. The market usually recognizes a home's value from the beginning; overpricing only delays the moment the seller hears it.

Time on the market also erodes negotiating power. Homes that sold within three months closed, at the median, at 96.6% of their last asking price; homes that took more than a year closed at 94.7%.

Factor 2: what you are selling

Houses sold fastest, with a median of 170 days. Apartments took 228 days and homes in gated condominiums 236 days, as buyers in those segments have more similar options to compare.

Price range mattered less than many owners assume. Homes selling under US$300,000 took a median of 131 days, while those between US$300,000 and US$1 million and those above US$1 million all fell in the 150 to 170 day range. A well-priced luxury home can move nearly as fast as a modest one.

Factor 3: who you are selling to

Homes sold in U.S. dollars closed in a median of 160 days, versus 230 days for homes sold in Mexican pesos. Dollar-priced homes are typically aimed at international buyers, who in 2026 still accounted for roughly seven out of ten purchases with a recorded buyer nationality. Pricing in the currency of your most likely buyer, and marketing where that buyer actually looks, shortens the search.

This is a pattern, not a rule. A peso-priced home aimed at the growing pool of Mexican buyers can sell quickly too, if it is priced against the right comparables.

After you accept an offer: the paperwork

The 28-day median from accepted offer to closing assumes the seller's documents are ready. Delays at this stage usually come from missing paperwork, not from the buyer. Before listing, it pays to have on hand the deed (escritura), current property tax receipts, utility and HOA no-debt letters, and the invoices that support the property's cost.

Taxes deserve early attention, especially for foreign sellers. Under Mexican rules, a non-resident seller's income tax on the sale is generally calculated either as 25% of the gross sale price or as 35% of the net gain, depending on the seller's situation and how the closing is structured. Proving the cost basis requires the purchase deed and, for purchases after 2013, the notary's CFDI invoice; improvements also need registered invoices. Our advice: ask the notary for a written tax estimate before you accept an offer, and consult a tax professional about your specific case.

How to land in the fast group

• Price against closed sales, not against other listings. Asking prices tell you what owners hope for; closed prices tell you what buyers pay.
• Get it right in the first 30 days. A new listing gets the most attention in its first weeks. That is when the price has to be right.
• Prepare the documents before listing, so an accepted offer can close in weeks, not months.
• Invest in presentation: repairs, professional photography and a clear description reduce the buyer's doubts.
• Respond quickly. Buyers who wait days for an answer move on to the next option.
• Plan for six months anyway. Even well-priced homes need time to meet the right buyer.

San Miguel de Allende remains a market with steady demand. The homes that wait are not usually the wrong homes; they are the right homes at the wrong price, or with the paperwork still unfinished.

Thinking about selling your home in San Miguel de Allende? We can show you what comparable homes actually sold for and how long they took. Contact us.

Sources and methodology

RESMA Real Estate. Database of closed sales in San Miguel de Allende, January 2025 to October 2026 (310 homes sold January–October 2026). Homes include houses, condo houses and apartments. Days on market are measured from listing date to closing date; time to accepted offer and time to closing are separate medians and do not add up exactly to the total. Sale-to-list ratios compare the closing price with the last and, where recorded, the original asking price. Price reductions and buyer nationality are counted as recorded in the database, so the share of homes with reductions may be understated.

Connell & Associates. “Capital Gains Tax on the sale of homes in Mexico,” July 15, 2026. mexicolaw.com.mx

Figures reflect sales recorded in the sources above and may not include private sales or the entire market. This article is for information only and is not legal, tax or appraisal advice.