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02 Dec

Should You List Your Home During the Holidays?

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The holidays are upon you and your home still hasn’t sold yet.  To pull or not to pull the listing…that is the question.  It used to be a no-brainer – take the house off the market and relist in the new year or perhaps spring.  Or maybe you want to sell but conventional wisdom has told you to wait for better timing.  Home buyers are preoccupied with Christmas shopping, entertaining, attending parties, or packing for a vacation on the beach…right?

Times have changed.  Now that the world’s gone digital, there’s no off-season for house-hunting. In fact, the holiday season offers some distinct advantages for those selling their home.

Here are a few reasons you should list or keep your home on the market during the holidays:

House hunters never stop house hunting online

The digital revolution has upended everything – including how and when we buy.  A smartphone, tablet or computer is never far from reach.  That means if potential home buyers aren’t checking an app for new listings, they’re getting email and other notifications…and all this is happening at the holiday party, while Christmas shopping, and just before pulling those Christmas cookies out of the oven.  That means it’s GAME ON for selling your home year-round. There is less inventory for buyers, but today’s buyer is always on the hunt.

Less competition

It’s the captive audience effect.  Less inventory of homes on the market means less competition for you, which is good news; that means more buyers are looking at your home more often than they would otherwise. This is the time to wow them with a home that’s move-in ready and priced well. If you’re thinking about listing your home – now is a perfect time when house hunters are delighted to find a new home to consider.

Your home looks and smells like Christmas

There’s a psychological advantage to selling your home during the holidays.  You want potential buyers to walk into your house and feel like it’s home – to imagine what Christmas would be like for their family in your home next year.  Create that holiday feeling with a cozy fire burning in the family room, the smell of freshly baked cookies and hot cider that you’ve laid out filling the place, and a home that is clean, de-cluttered, and tastefully decorated.

If that description fills you with anxiety – never fear, you don’t have to be Martha Stewart. Ready-made cookie dough will do just fine and remember to engage a staging specialist who will help you be strategic and minimalistic in your holiday decorating.

Time for a holiday sale strategy?

If your house has been on the market for a while and still hasn’t sold, now is the time to re-evaluate your strategy.  Is there some major obstacle getting in the way of selling your home?  Have you had feedback about issues with your home from showings?  Now is the time to address those issues by fixing whatever you can, otherwise perhaps it’s time to renew the interest of buyers and their agents by implementing a price improvement. Everyone loves a Christmas sale, and a real estate sale is no exception. Talk to your Realtor® for the best advice in your specific situation.

Can’t keep the house looking pristine during the holidays?  List in January.

For some of you, the thought of keeping the house clean and vacant for showings while the kids are home on Christmas break and your relatives are visiting from out of town can be overwhelming.  You can still make the most of an advantageous market for sellers by waiting until the madness is over and listing your property in the new year.

The captive audience effect kicks into high gear in January.  January inventory is still very light, and at the same time there’s an increase in buyers calling up Realtors® wanting to get into the game. Whether it’s New Year’s resolutions to stop renting and buy or year-end tax planning motivating buyers, there’s a renewed interest in home ownership in January.

Listing or keeping your home on the market for the holidays and through to January is a gift to motivated home buyers looking for good inventory.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity to give a gift that is likely to give back!

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