So it's THAT time of year again! When the real estate market seems to just dry up and nothing seems to be happening, sales seem to be slower, and some make the mistake and say..."Well, I'm going to wait until next year to buy/sell my home!."
Let's quickly look at some reasons homes sales seem to be slow:
Buyers - have decided to wait to buy a home "until next year". Why? Because "the holidays are coming up", "they really want to start saving for all those gifts", "they don't want to move during the holidays", "they may or may not be taking a trip", etc...the list goes on and on, the reasons are different but are really the same.
Sellers - Have decided not to list their home "until next year" because, "they don't want to be disturbed during the holidays", "family is visiting from out of town and the home will be a mess", or they "figure there aren't any buyers out looking anyways".
Agents - tend to allow buyers and sellers to make excuses to put off buying or selling "until next year", but agents have their own excuses, "the holidays aren't the best time to buy or sell", "there is little to no inventory available", and the ultimate..."yeah, you should probably just wait till next year for a fresh start."
Agents set their own hours as independent contractors (self employed) and many "check-out" well before the holidays and often before the prospective buyers/sellers have made their decision to do just that....hmm, maybe the buyers/sellers think their agent just doesn't care about them, or feel guilty that they are bothering their agent so close to "the holidays". Sound familiar? There are many others with the same approach when it comes to buying or selling homes during "the holidays". So,
Buyers - MANY have decided to "wait until next year" to buy a home. Think about the advantage you now have by continuing to search for your new home and the chance of being more successful during the holidays because of the significantly reduced competition. Especially in market areas where writing multiple offers have become the norm.
Sellers - with fewer buyers the chance of "being disturbed during the holidays" is reduced, but those buyers who are looking are probably very serious. Most house guests will help to keep your home presentable with a brief explanation. And with other seller's waiting to list their home until "next year" there is potential for less inventory for buyers to look at, making your home more desirable. You are also letting the buyer's know that you are serious about selling your home.
Agents - First things first...take a look around your office to see how many there have already "checked-out" for the holidays, time to take advantage by scheduling some floor time during periods that buyers may have time off from work and have an opportunity to look at homes (evenings, weekends, holidays), conduct some open houses to meet new clients (lots of families come from out of town during the holidays and may fall in love with the area they're visiting), follow-up and set some appointments that is convenient for your clients, and most importantly DON'T MAKE EXCUSES!
Of course this is the tip of this ice berg, but you will find that this is the time for buyer's AND seller's to be successful in finding and selling their homes. And for those agents who actually work during "the holidays" will find that they could be more successful during this time of year than any other. Good Luck! Oh, if your're in my area and have decided to take the month off....please forward my e-mail to your clients....I'll take good care of them! : ) paul.wilkinson@century21.com.
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