11 Reasons the Holidays Are a Great Time to Sell

Contrary to popular belief, the holiday season is a great time to sell your home. There are a full 11 reasons as to why this is.

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I don’t know about you, but I’m excited for Halloween. It puts me in the holiday spirit!

When it comes to real estate, though, the holiday spirit takes on a different meaning. A lot of people thinking about selling their home either to put the pedal to the metal to move forward or pump the brakes so they can enjoy the season. This is because the natural thought is that homes don’t sell during the holidays.

Here’s the thing, though: that couldn’t be further from the truth. Right now is a fantastic time to sell your home. How fantastic? My team and I have come together and provided a list of 11 reasons why you should take advantage of the holiday market:

1. People who look for a home during the holidays are more serious buyers.
2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from. Less competition means more money for you.
3. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular home if you list then.
4. Houses show better when they’re decorated for the holidays.
5. Buyers are more emotional during the holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price.
6. Buyers have more time to look for a home during the holidays than they do during a regular work week.
7. Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons. 
8. January is traditionally a month for employees to begin new jobs. Since transferees can’t wait until spring to buy, you must be on the market now to capture that group.
9. You can still be on the market, but you have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days during the holidays.
10. You can sell now for more money and we’ll provide for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until the following year if necessary.
11. Selling now gives you an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the springtime when there will be more houses on the market for less money. This will allow you to sell high and buy low.

Right now is a fantastic time to sell your home.

If you don’t absolutely need to, feel free to stay put, take your home off the market, and enjoy the holidays. I know I will. However, there are some great benefits to selling now that you won’t get during the rest of the year.

If you have questions about your home or putting it up for sale during the holidays months, let’s talk. Give me a call or send me an email so we can figure out how we can get the highest price for your home. I look forward to hearing from you!

Your Latest Real Estate Market Update

The wonderful world of real estate tends to run in cycles. Our market is shifting right now, so there are a few market trends that you need to be aware of.

As we all know, the wonderful world of real estate runs in cycles. There are times when the market is up, times when the market is down, and in-between times when the market seems flat. For those of us who have been through multiple upswings and downturns over the years, the worst downturn we’ve seen lasted from 2006 to mid-2011.

If you look at most cycles in real estate, we typically have four or five years of a really good market and then 12 to 36 months of an adjustment or downswing before starting that upward cycle again.

Since the recovery from the Great Recession began in mid-2011, it would only be natural for us to hit the next real estate cycle soon because it has been about five years since our last major downturn.

So, what are the signs of a market adjustment? Typically we will see increased inventory, more days on market, and frequent price reductions. This is exactly what we have seen over the last 10 months, and the market continues to adjust today.

What is causing the adjustment? As mentioned, we have had the five-year recovery period already, and it is time for the market to adjust. We are also experiencing enormous uncertainty in the stock market in the wake of Brexit; this causes people to slow down when it comes to purchasing a home, as some may not have enough money for a down payment. The uncertainty also slows down the market in the upper price points.

At the same time, we are in an election year. Election years cause economic concern and slow down the real estate market. Unfortunately, there have also been both national and international acts of terrorism, which further breed fear, uncertainty, and caution in our market.

Overall, the real estate market is doing great.

That said, it’s not all doom and gloom. The market isn’t going down anytime soon. My team and I cover 25 different cities in three major counties, and we are on track to help more than 60 families buy or sell a home anywhere from $400,000 to $2.5 million. In short, I have a direct pulse on what’s taking place in our market.

The good news is that homes are still selling and buyers are still taking advantage of the historically low interest rates, which means demand remains strong.

We are starting to see the market slow down in the higher price points of any market. In some cases, the top end of each market is starting to show signs of a buyer’s market. However, in the bottom three-quarters of the market, we are still experiencing a seller’s market. It’s not that insane seller’s market where there were 10 or 15 offers per property, though. Instead, the remaining three-quarters of the market is fairly healthy.

Overall, the real estate market is doing great. I would just say that you need to expect a little more volatility throughout the year. If you want more details about the market in your city or if you have any other questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

What Home Sellers Need to Know in Today’s Market

Before we got the listing, it had been on the market for a year. The story of this listing is very relevant to what is going on in our current market.

I am standing in front of one of our newest sales; in fact, we just put the ‘Sold’ sign up today. I wanted to share the story of this listing with you because I think it is very relevant to what is going on in our current market for home sellers.

These sellers had put their home on the market with two different real estate agents. The home was on the market for an entire year between these two agents and neither one got results. These sellers went through the sales process twice, cleaned their home for showings, and no one came through the property. Instead, the agents kept telling them to just reduce the price.

I called these sellers and told them about our aggressive marketing strategy and the results that we’ve been getting. The home sellers took a leap of faith and gave me the opportunity to market this property.

It seems like everyone has a real estate license these days.

I put the home up for sale, communicated with the homeowners throughout the process, and gave them all the information they needed in order to make the best decisions for their situation. They were looking for a certain price and we were able to sell their home for an excellent price in less than 45 days.

I cannot tell you how relieved these home sellers were when they got the results that they wanted.

I wanted to tell you this story today because right now, we are in an environment where it seems like everyone has a real estate license. When you go to put your home on the market, you might think you are hiring a professional because they dress professionally and know how to talk the talk; in the end, though, you might not get the results or the communication that you want.

If you or someone you know is having a similar experience while trying to sell their home, give me a call. I would love to give you the information you need to sell your property. If you have any other questions about real estate, let me know. I would be happy to help you!