Is there a lsquo;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 hellip; shouldn 't I wait until the gardens are in bloom to list?
Answers / Thoughts
- No - there is no lsquo;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.
