Winter months, in many states, slows down life immensely. It seems much harder to peel yourself out of bed, and even your vehicle takes more time to reach operating temperatures.
What does the cold mean for buyers and sellers though?
Winter sure doesn't seem like the optimal selling time, but it sure seems like a great time to buy.
"The best month to make an offer on a house is January. Fewer buyers are willing to house-hunt during cold, nasty weather, so there’s less competition and few, if any, bidding wars. Sellers also tend to be more motivated than they will be in the spring, when there are more buyers," according to Mark Di Vincenzo of Time Business.
Tax returns may be starting to show up in bank accounts around this time, but the expenses of the holiday season still leave many people uneasy.
On the flip side, the average home buyer has evolved over the years; the stigma that owners should wait until spring to put their property on the market no longer holds up. As Zillow explains, "Today, more than half of buyers aren’t married, and their decisions aren’t based upon school schedules. So spring isn’t as relevant as it used to be. Instead, the best time to sell a home is in November, December and January."
Young professionals and future leaders are climbing through the ranks more and more frequently in today's technologically-based business world. Fancy electronics are nice, luxury sports cars are even nicer, but none of those compare to being handed the keys to your new home.
The people that are looking to purchase a home and move during the, sometimes unforgiving, winter months are the ones that really seem to have their mind set on what they want. What they want is to put ink to paper.
We all know that there are a lot of 'tourists' in the real-estate market. They browse through the free catalogs and request listings online in hopes that something remarkably cheap will emerge before their eyes. Even I have found myself sight-seeing from time to time.
Working with a realtor, whether you are looking to buy or sell, can expedite the process immensly. It weeds out a lot of 'tourists' and it opens you up to a market of dedicated and motivated buyers or sellers.
Verifying leads is a crucial part of the real estate business. When people show interest in purchasing a home online, they receive follow-up calls to verify their information and to confirm that they are indeed seriously looking to purchase a home. Working with verified leads adds confidence for everyone: the seller, buyer and agent.
During the time of year when the world around us seems to slow down, your buying or selling doesn't need to.
With the right marketing and tactics, you can be closing the deal just in time for the holidays.
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