9 Tips for Selling Your Home During the Holidays

9 Tips for Selling a Home During the Holidays

Selling a home during the holidays sounds stressful, and for homeowners who love to entertain and go all-out with decorations, it could end up being a total buzzkill. But those willing to make their home sellable year-round stand to gain a competitive edge with fewer properties on the market and the most serious buyers out and about forgoing festivities to search for their dream home.

Here are the top 10 reasons to list now, plus a few tips on how to make your listing shine as bright as Rudolph when you do.

1. Hire a reliable real estate agent

That means someone who will work hard for you and won’t disappear during Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s. Ask your friends and family if they can recommend a listing agent who will go above and beyond to get your home sold. This will ease your stress and give you more time to enjoy the season.

2. Overcome the stigma

The first step is overcoming any stigma your seller may have about listing over the holidays. Most sellers are still reluctant to list because they subscribe to the age-old real estate myths of Christmas past. This continues to result in a shortage of inventory, which means less competition. On the contrary, today’s market is dynamic, mobile and seeing an influx of foreign buyers who don’t observe the same holidays as most Americans do. Fewer comparable homes during the holidays means greater sale-to-list-price ratios with less days on the market. What more could a seller ask for?

3. Attract serious buyers

Even more importantly, those looking for homes during the holidays are serious. Think about it. Nobody is going to waste precious time house hunting during the most wonderful time of year unless they are ready to make a move. Realtor.com cites a new crop of international and American homebuyers for searching at odd times of the year, in addition to companies relocating more often, as top reasons to list during the holidays. Get in front of these buyers by posting your listing online and ensuring it’s ready to show at a moment’s notice.

4. Offer incentives

Forbes suggests offering incentives to get your home sold during the holidays. Things like covering closing costs or throwing in an upgrade such as new appliances can further set your listing apart. ‘Tis the season for giving.”

5. Price to sell

According to the folks at HGTV, “No matter what time of year, a home that’s priced low for the market will make buyers feel merry. Rather than gradually making small price reductions, many real estate agents advise sellers to slash their prices before putting a home on the market.” I couldn’t agree more.

6. Appeal to second homebuyers

With the approaching holidays, especially the resort and second-home market, buyers get more sentimental and family becomes the focus. The search for the perfect place to gather the family each year becomes strong. Never underestimate the power of an eager and sentimental buyer. Capitalize on this by bringing your listing’s best entertainment features to the forefront of your marketing efforts.

7. Don’t discount the weather

You think the cold is going to keep serious buyers at bay? Think again. Today’s buyers are conducting their home searches online, and there is no better time to house hunt than when you’re held up indoors. Realtor.com points out that during winter, buyers. like to “whittle down a list of preferred homes from the warmth of the buyer’s home,” which means that cold weather effects website traffic in a big way.

8. Get digital with it

Getting the most exposure for your listing digitally is important, as this is the no. 1 place people are looking. In fact, the National Association of Realtors Real Estate in the Digital Age 2017 Report said 44 percent of people look for properties online first — including virtual tours and narrowing searches based on select features.
The report also notes that the typical buyer primarily uses a mobile device to search for properties online, so always make sure your listing and marketing content are mobile-friendly and up-to-date.

9. Rein in holiday décor

When selling during the holidays, it’s important that the home isn’t overdone. Some sellers go décor-overboard and it’s tough for buyers to see past it. A lot of companies tend to transfer employees at the end of the year. Stay on the market during the holidays because a lot of people pull their homes off the market then, so there’s not as much competition. And if buyers are out looking during they holidays, they mean business.

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