The most popular months for vacation and family time are (no coincidence) the slowest periods for the real estate market. Should you put your property on the market during the holidays? There are pros and cons to selling – and buying – at this time. 

Fewer buyers, fewer listings

People don’t tend to want to use their family/vacation time to be out searching for a place. And that’s especially true in the winter, when a warm and cozy couch is a heck of a lot more appealing than tromping through wind and snow to get to a showing. As a result, there are fewer buyers out there looking. And there are fewer places out there to buy: a lot of sellers wait until after the holidays to list, which cuts down the already low inventory even further. 

The obvious downside of selling this season is fewer buyers. Less competition means less of a chance of getting a great offer. In fact, buyers may assume you’re desperate to sell, and come in with lowball offers. Plus, your property will likely take longer to sell, which means your listing could end up getting stale. 

On the other hand, there are some upsides to selling now

Being one of only a handful of properties on the market will mean greater visibility for your listing. You’ll also probably encounter a lot more serious, motivated buyers, which means fewer tire-kickers wasting your time with unnecessary showings. And right now, with the low inventory, buyers know what they want and are ready to jump on that perfect property when it comes along. We are finding that homes with something special to offer, and priced correctly are still moving quite quickly.

So is selling right now right for you? 

If you can put up with having showings (and keeping your place staged and looking spotless) over the holiday, you could end up getting the attention of the right buyer...after all, if your property isn’t on the market, nobody’s going to find it. But if you’d rather relax and enjoy your time off, maybe head off on a long-awaited trip, holding off for a bit may be the better move for you.

Thinking about buying or selling during the holidays? I can help you decide if the timing is right