05 Dec 3 Quick Tips for Selling During the Holidays

The holidays are here! Who’s in the mood to sell? While spring and summer are traditionally lauded as the best seasons to sell a home, winter sales can be successful too.

During the holidays, there is often less inventory, meaning competition is less fierce than in other months. Additionally buyers who are looking to find a home during the holidays are often more serious. After all, who would move during the holidays if they didn’t have to for some reason or other?

If you are selling this holiday season, keep these three tips in mind to help attract more potential buyers:

1. Stage to Sell

With less buyers on the market, every showing counts! Get your listing market-ready by staging it to sell. “Staging” a home means preparing it for buyers by cleaning and arranging it in the most attractive and inviting way. Make a good first impression with these 7 winter curb appeal tips.

To decorate for the holidays or not to decorate? That is often the question. There is a not-so-fine line between festive and garish. Keep your home cozy – but not overwhelming – by using these guidelines to navigate the gray area of holiday staging.

2. Photograph to Sell

Great listing photos are key year round. And they are especially important during winter when cold temperatures make it even more likely that buyers will start home shopping online, instead of driving around. High quality photos will help your listing get noticed.

Do you have a great garden, water feature or outdoor living space that looks better in spring and summer? Include pictures of the home during other seasons, too, so buyers can start picturing themselves living there from season to season.

Here is some information about how many listing photos it takes to get leads and, just for fun, some examples of what not to do when photographing real estate.

3. Price to Sell

Pricing to sell is a critical part of your sales plan during any season, but it can be even more critical during the winter months when the right price can mean the difference between someone snapping up your listing or deciding to wait to buy until spring, when competition becomes more fierce. Professional real estate agents are skilled at working closely with sellers to help choose a price that best suits both a specific home and market.

If you are having a hard time deciding between two prices, ask yourself which matters more to you: getting that specific dollar amount or closing your sale more quickly? The answer will depend on your unique situation.

Of course, one of the most important things is to make sure that you are working with a great real estate agent who doesn’t disappear during holidays and weekends. Or, if you are a real estate agent, making sure you establish clear communication strategies with your clients at your first meeting. Need help? Check out our telephone and texting tips for agents.

Set realistic expectations and timelines upfront, pair them with our three quick tips for selling during the holidays, and you’ll be positioning yourself for a less stressful sale during this typically hectic time of year.