Selling your home only during a certain season is old thinking. Thanks to the internet, consumers can look online for homes no matter what time of year it is. Yes, even during the holiday season! Listings are readily available on websites that can be pulled up smart phones before bedtime or while parents wait for their child’s swim practice to end. Meaning, serious home buyers will be looking no matter what time of year it is.
The perception that there’s limited listings or competition during certain times of year is also incorrect. Despite how powerful we may believe the weather to be, the influx in the real estate market is usually independent from the elements. Take for example, the current state of the Chippewa Valley. In terms of real estate in our area, there has been a high demand for houses on the market since summer, 2016. In addition, houses that hit the market have spent very little time there. This includes houses we’ve listed this past summer, fall and winter. One example: we had a home that hit the market on December 13, 2016 and had an accepted offer by December 14, 2016. The very next day. Snow on the ground, holiday season and all.
Alternatively, if you’ve had a home on the market for a while, January could be a great time to revamp your strategy. Typically, agents and buyers see old listings as stale and overpriced. If you received previous offers that you were not ready to accept, the new year might be a good time to show buyers you listened to their feedback, made upgrades, or dropped the price, because you are serious about meeting the demands of the market and about selling.
Our phones are ringing, we have buyers and sellers looking to make new changes in the new year. Don’t let your old thinking get in the way of your new home!
