Conventional wisdom says to avoid listing your house between Thanksgiving and New Years. Nobody looks then except for the Scroogiest of the bottom fishers.
Oh, yeah?
So, is there any way to make the best of trying to sell a house when everyone is at the mall buying Christmas presents?
Yesterday, I showed a house that really made a case for decking the halls and the For Sale sign. It’s a pretty place to begin with. The big, healthy, tastefully decorated tree looked and smelled wonderful. There was greenery on the mantel. The dining room table had festive candles, and I was waiting for the stuffed goose to materialize.
This house was a shameless flirt – I couldn’t imagine it looking more inviting at any other time of the year. I’m convinced someone will buy it before Christmas.
Bottom line? It depends a lot on a sellers’ motivation to sell. It’s hard to deal with the invasions during a time of the year when you cherish your privacy.
A lot of agents try to take the month off to spend time with their families, but there are agents like me who work like a dog during December.
There may be fewer people out there looking, but those who are looking are likely to be as motivated as sellers willing to open their homes during this festive season.
If you do have to have your home on the market over the holidays, you’ll have it listed during a time of year when it’s likely to look it’s absolute best. That could be a plus that helps you get your place sold for top dollar.
If You Have To Sell Over The Holidays
60 comments • Patricia Kennedy • November 28 2007 04:04AMComments
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After note: Fun is good. That is part of our requirement when working with people. If they're not fun, they're not for us! :-)
With the agents who like to convince themselves that this is not the time of year to work, I say thank you...it makes it easier for those of us to go and sell property. I feel this is a perfect time of year to sell. As Carol said...the buyers that are out this time of year are serious!
So, let's go make some extra spending money while the others are taking time off :)
I agree, Motivated buyers shop durig the holidays and this is whe the home looks the best creating an emotional decision. I wonder, do buyers buy from emotion :)
I agree, Motivated buyers shop durig the holidays and this is whe the home looks the best creating an emotional decision. I wonder, do buyers buy from emotion :)
Ginger
Who wants to open their home during the holidays or worse, look at other people's homes during the worst traffic and weather of the year!
The most motivated people, that's who!
If a buyer is looking now, they are motivated, in most situations!
Selling real estate in a resort community like Hilton Head makes for a different type of holiday market. We get plenty of visitors to the island during Thanksgiving and Christmas so I always encourage my sellers to be active during these times. Hope you get that house sold.
I couldn't agree more. In New York there is a window this time of year because come January there is all that bonus money around looking to buy. Last year I had a buyer that made an offer on Christmas Eve on new construction that turned out to be a great deal. By the time it closed in the Spring it appraised higher and comparable units were selling for more. The developer offered concessions.
The year before I had a listing that a buyer saw 2 weeks before Christmas at my Open House. He called on Christmas Eve from the airport on his way to Puerto Rico for the holiday and made an offer. We had a contract by January 2nd.
Everyone is in a buying mood for the holidays....why not buy a home?
Carol, this is turning into a great season for me! I've got buyers who are really serious and fun!
Chris, I'll take time off in January!
Cris, back in 1983 as a new agent, I had my first million dollar month in December - and back then a million was a good year. So the habit stuck!
Brett, buying is always an emotional decision, and you're right! The holiday atmosphere really helps out!
Linda and Ginger, thanks for the compliment! And I think that people pick houses with the same little chemicals that help them pick mates!
And Karen Anne, I totally agree!
I could not agree more! Less competition, motivated sellers, serious buyers! Make December on of your best months of the year!
Be of service! The rewards will come!
www.mattcrow.com
www.matthewcrow.com
Todd, the inventory is a little lower, and you're right, the lack of competition compensates big time.
Kay, sellers are probably getting fewer showing, so they are really glad to see you, and even happier if you return with an offer!
Joseph, So true, and you know, the same might be true of August.
Joshua, and if you get really lucky, they want to settle by the end of the years!
Missy, at least we don't have snow and cold - yet. Just drizzle and chill!
Jeanean, I wonder if some of these buyers might be driven by a concern that prices actually might go up at the first of the year?
Hi Patricia, Great job! Thanks for the encouragement and insight! It is good to hear from people with a "can do" attitude.
Hi Patricia,
I sold a lot of closing gifts during December last year. It was quite a pleasant surprise! Must be something to it.
Patricia,
I love working this time of the year. Maybe it's just the spirit of the season or they're so pre-occupied with other things, but I find that people are a lot easier to deal with. Happy holidays!!
Patricia,
What an interesting comment you made: "people pick houses with the same little chemicals that help them pick mates!" I will have to think about that one for a while, and I am sure you are right on target. Excellent post!
I've never relied much on "conventional wisdom" whatever that is, to sell real estate.
The best time to sell your house is when someone wants to buy it and that time comes as readily on December 15th as it does on April 15th.
When someone wants to buy a house with me my policy is to let them. ;-)
Patricia- Greats points made here and by the comments. I remember being on the phone and working offers on Christmas eve as well. The serious buyers are just that serious buyers!
It also OK to tell your sellers - to decorate their homes. The department stores dont decorate just because - it put people in the holiday shopping mood!
Bravo. I read an article yesterday (not on AR) that advocated all sellers taking their homes off the market during the holiday season. I don't agree with that at all. Any season can be the right season to sell your home. I've written offers on Christmas eve and helped my sellers sell and close in December as well. In fact, some buyers of mine wrote an offer a week ago on their new house...if these homes were off the market, both sellers and buyers would have missed out!
I once had a client that insisted on taking her condo off temporarily during the holidays (she didn't want to keep it clean or accommodate showings). I must have had 4 calls during that one week with people wanting to see it but she refused. Crazy!
There are always buyers out and staging that house with xmas decorations is a great idea.
J
Vincent, I don't know if you have a whole foods in your area, but they are selling pine cones that smell like really good spiced tea. That and a tree are a great combination, although I'm usually not great on adding gratuitous smells to a place.
Gita, I agree totally. Mine sure are serious! They're wearing me out!
Suzanne, I have some people who want to look at stuff early in the day on Christmas Eve, and I thought about saying no until I read some of these comments, including yours!
Adam, what you say about the weather applies here, too. It rarely snows a lot before January and I hate sliding around on ice.
Diane, I like to go to the northern-ish beaches over winter holidays. You get to meet the people who actually live there!
And Mitchell, it's funny how local real estate is. In New York, the bonus thing runs the show after the first of the year. Since the government worker bonuses are squat (at least compared to Wall Street) it doesn't have a huge impact here. Even the big law firms seem to put more into salaries than bonuses.
Ed, this house did in fact have soft white twinkle lights on the tree.
Joann and Matt, if you don't have children or if they are grown and out of the nest, there is not excuse for holiday goofing off!
Thanks, Densie! Go get 'em!
Diane, it's the time of year when agents are trying to think up cool stuff to give their clients, so make hay!
Kris, your right, but I think it's better to buy in December than try to sell. I'd rather have my sellers wait until after the holidays unless they really have to move a place, because here, that's when more buyers seem to show up.
Steve, you're lucky down there because you don't have the crummy weather we have further north!
Brian, I'd still rather be writing offers for buyers than presenting offers to sellers in December. Wait. That came out wrong! I have this listing at 1717 T St NW and I would love to present an offer on that in December or any other time! Write one and I will name you in mt will! You can have Willy-th-hyper-active-Labradoodle puppy!
Andrew, maybe we're all a bit jollier around the holidays!
Great post, I am looking forward to showing decorated homes to my buyers and decorating with my sellers. Its a beautiful time of year!! I also serve cookies and Cocoa light candles and play holiday music... Nothing like a little Nat King Cole.
Include a decorated tree and ornaments for closing gift!
Jan, the chemicals are actually called "pheromones" and I swear that some houses have them and others don't.
Allen, Woo Hoo! Deck the Halls!
Jim, you are right. Conventional knowledge is way over-rated!
Alayna, now that's Christmas shopping!
Amanda, I totally agree with you on the pot pourri thing. We don't all have the same idea of what a good smell is! See, I get turned on by garlic saute in butter!
Craig, it's a line I've used before and it sort of fits this house more than most.
Debbie, It's fun to go into the new year with settlements on the books, isn't it?
Lori, I am having a hard time finding a few spare hours to find a tree, trim it, and plan my client party! Ykies!
And James, ok, I am showing property to my Tennessee people like they want on Christmas Eve! You're about the eighth person who's given themselves a deal for Christmas! My family doesn't show up until Christmas late morning anyway, and my shopping is done.