Should You Sell Your Home This Holiday Season?

The holidays have arrived, and so has the time of year when home sellers wonder whether they should keep their properties on the market or take them off. Or if owners haven’t listed their home yet, they may be asking themselves if they should wait until spring or brave the winter real estate market?

Trying to sell your home during the holidays can be daunting to many homeowners. In years past it was typical for sellers to wait for the spring but in today’s brisk market, we are seeing any signs of slowing down. The season can be hectic for families, and the idea of taking on the additional stress of selling a house could be a turnoff to some people.

Many people might think that the holiday season would be the worst time to sell your home; it’s the time of year when homeowners are hosting family members, putting up favorite decorations, and planning vacations. However, in today’s brisk market and low housing inventory, listing a home during the holidays can be highly advantageous to homeowners, and it doesn’t have to ruin any holiday cheer.

Here are a few reasons why homeowners should consider listing their homes this winter:

Less Inventory. For many homeowners, selling during the winter holidays seems like too much of a hassle. As a result, some will take their home off the market or wait until the warmer months to list.  This delay creates an inventory shortage, which is good news for sellers keeping their homes on the market. Limited choices for buyers can lead to high asking prices for sellers.

Control Your Showings. Sellers do not need to let their homes be constantly available for showing. Let your Realtor know if certain days and times won’t work for your schedule. You can have blackout dates with absolutely no showings or create a daily schedule outlining when potential buyers can come through the home. Your Realtor is there to help make the process go smoothly.

Staging. Staging your home during winter can be as easy as decorating for the holidays. Just be careful not to overdo it, as décor that is too large or over the top can distract buyers. Sellers can also avoid offending potential buyers by using general fall and winter decorations rather than religious themes.

Motivated Buyers. People hunting for homes during the holidays often have a reason for doing so, meaning they are more motivated buyers. Buyers who aren’t on a specific timeframe will put off their home search during the holidays and pick things up again in the spring. If someone is touring homes instead of celebrating the season with friends and family, they likely need to buy a home quickly and could be willing to pay more.

And of course, the most important thing that you can do to give yourself an advantage is to hire a Realtor®, a member of the National Association of Realtors®. Realtors® have real insights and unparalleled knowledge of your local market and can help you sell your home this winter so that you and your family can get back to celebrating the holidays. That’s Who We R.