Is there a ‘selling season’ or an ideal time to list and sell your home?
Sellers typically follow this up with statements/questions like:
- Everyone lists in the spring because that is when buyers are looking, right?
- We’re heading into winter – no one moves in winter or over the holidays, right?
- It’s the middle of summer – there is usually a lull and very few showings or sales, right?
- We have lovely gardens… shouldn’t I wait until the gardens are in bloom to list?
Answers / Thoughts
- No – there is no ‘selling season’ – buyers looking to move throughout the year.
- People still move in the winter months and being on the market as others come off means you have fewer listings competing for a limited pool of buyers.
- Summer – yes, people are on vacation and this can lead to fewer showings but there are people that are looking during this time in hopes to be in before school and snow.
- Maybe your lawn and gardens look better in bloom but if the real estate market is slower or there is more competition, waiting for spring might not be ideal.
- There are other factors that influence the market more than the time of year, for example:
- Interest rates – low rates can drive buyers to act now in fear that rates will increase.
- Prices – do buyers believe prices are low or at the bottom – this can motivate them to act no matter the season.
Tom Landry is the owner of both Benchmark Residential & Investment Real Estate and CornerStone Building and Restoration. This article originally appeared in the West End News and can be viewed here.
