The election is over, November is here and our thoughts turn to the holiday season. Many people think this is the time when the real estate market slows down. Contrary to popular belief, the market heats up a little bit - especially for my team, who happen to be in town for all of November and December. Offers made in December close in January. And judging by the graph to the right, within the last 12 months of sales, January did pretty well for itself!
The kids are off school a few days in November, on break in December, and it’s a classic time for families to look around and say, “wow- we need a bigger living space” or “this kitchen isn’t cutting it for all of us any longer.” But mostly, it’s a great time to start looking at homes that are on the market. Since the Pacific Northwest is rather mild, buyers do not have to brave the snow and ice to get to houses. Just the same, the Redmond area has some beautiful light displays and many people travel through neighborhoods viewing holiday lights and notice a neighborhood they find appealing or a Realtor’s sign they weren’t aware of.
Because many sellers slow down marketing during the holidays, this is a perfect time to stand out against inactive inventory. If you are selling your home, here are a few tips:
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*Ask your Realtor to kick the marketing up a notch and host a holiday open house for other agents or the neighbors.
*Take advantage of the holiday and bake! The smell of cookies in a home is quite appealing!
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*Decorating is fine! In fact, it can make the home feel cozier, which could be the selling factor, as long as the decorating is tastefully done. Multiple inflatables on the front lawn and crazy Griswold house lights are not going to help the sale of the home. (see picture)
* Be accessible to showings. Yes, you’ve taken a few days off. So has your potential buyer! What does that mean? Buyers will be looking during the week as well as weekends.
Overall, the holidays are stressful enough, with gifts to buy, dinners to prepare and relatives to entertain. Take a moment to remind yourself that if you don't sell now, there's always next year, which luckily is only a few weeks away.