Winter Real Estate – Many sellers believe spring is the best time to put their homes on the market because buyer demand traditionally increases at that time of year. While this is true, an equally great strategy for selling your house is to put your home on the market in the winter. Why? We’ll tell you below!
Why should I sell my house in the winter?
So, what’s the #1 reason to list your house in the winter? Less competition!
That’s right, housing supply traditionally shrinks at this time of year, so the choices buyers have will be limited, meaning your house will jump to the top of people’s open house viewing lists, and hopefully they’re “which house should we buy?” lists! The chart below was created using the months supply of listings from the National Association of Realtors.
As you can see, the ‘sweet spot’ to list your house for the most exposure naturally occurs in the late fall and winter months (November – January).And just because the amount of listings drops doesn’t mean that people aren’t still looking for homes! Maybe they’re not planning on moving in December, but chances are they’re keeping an eye out for a home to move into as soon as the new year rolls around, putting your home front and center in the listings for many buyers looking to move to Corpus Christi and the surrounding Coastal Bend area.
Temperatures aren’t the only thing that heats up in the spring – so do listings!
Winter Real Estate – In 2018, listings increased from December to May. Don’t wait for these listings and the competition that comes with them to come to the market before you decide to list your house. Even with the hustle and bustle of holidays that come about in November and December, having your house listed is just one more thing you can check off your to-do list before the new year, and it’s seriously advantageous if you’re looking to find a buyer – and fast!
Texas Real Estate Market
Added Bonus: Serious Buyers Are Out in the Winter
At this time of year, purchasers who are serious about buying a home will be in the marketplace and actively looking for a home and attending open houses despite the winter chill and wind. You and your family will not be bothered and inconvenienced by mere ‘lookers’ , as they’re probably not near as inclined to break out the coats and boots to simply look at a house they have no intention of buying. As it is during the holiday season, the lookers are most likely at the mall or online doing their holiday shopping, leaving more room for serious buyers to take a gander at your fine property.
If you’ve been debating whether or not to sell your house and are curious about market conditions in your area during the winter, the best thing you can do is reach out to an experienced and trusted realtor based near your home. They’ll be able to help you get the home listing process started, and hopefully find you a buyer as soon as possible!
Thank you for reading our real estate and homeowner’s blog. We are Weichert Realtors – The Place of Houses, and we’re happy to have helped you learn more about why you should list your home in the winter. Good luck!
