Q: Why Sell Your Home During the Holidays?

By JP Fluellen

JP became a licensed real estate agent in 2010 after being a real estate investor for 2 years. He’s been a top real estate agent at Coldwell Banker The Property Exchange and has recently started the Titan Real Estate Team at eXp Realty.

There are eight reasons to sell your home during the holidays.

With the holidays right around the corner, most people choose not to list their homes this time of year. However, there are a lot of reasons why it’s a good idea to sell your home during the holidays. Today I’ll share just eight factors to consider:

1. Buyers are more serious. Buyers who look for a home during the holidays are serious about purchasing. They know what they can afford and have a clear plan to buy. They also want to get it done before the new year hits so they can take advantage of tax benefits, especially now with the market rates being so low.

2. Fewer houses means less competition. Recent studies have shown that homes that are listed during the holiday season can command a larger asking price and sell quicker, meaning you get more money.

3. Listing supply dramatically increases in January. Once inventory begins to increase in the new year, each house on the market will be in competition with its neighbors’ pricing and assets. However, during the holiday months, your home doesn’t have as much competition.

4. Houses show better when decorated for the holidays. Snow-covered yards, lights around the porch, the smell of cookies baking in the oven, the fireplace warming the air… There’s no better way to make someone want to call your house home.

5. Buyers are in the holiday spirit. People are happier during the holiday season, so they’re more likely to pay your price. Not to mention that people are out driving around to look at the holiday decorations—why not have a for sale sign up when those people drive past your home?

6. Buyers have more time to look. While most people think of the holidays as a very busy few months, it’s also the time of the year that employees have the most time off work, which means they have more time to look at your house.

7. It never hurts to be listed. If your house isn’t being marketed, then you aren’t getting offers. You can be on the market during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your own holiday family time. You have the option to restrict showings on the day of each holiday.

8. You can sell high and negotiate low. In December, when demand is high and inventory is low, you can sell your house at a higher price. In the spring, buyers can negotiate a lower price for a home because there’s much more inventory during that time.

If you have any questions about selling your home during the holiday season, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.