Putting Your Home on Market During the Holidays – Good Idea or Bad Idea?
Real estate professionals, as well as most buyers and sellers, know that activity drops off during the holiday period that begins with Thanksgiving. Fewer buyers, combined with cool, rainy weather usually tip the scale toward holding off on marketing new listings until the new year.
But wait, doesn’t that mean that you, as a seller, may have less competition and, therefore, more, rather than less, activity if you list now? Possibly, but there is a big risk. The gamble sellers take by starting their marketing at this time is that, if they don’t get a sale during the holidays, the listing will have lost its best opportunity for excitement and success, which happens during the first two weeks a property is on the market.
Another consideration is that there has been low inventory even before the holidays. This could convince some sellers to take a pre-Christmas plunge.
Based on long experience as a Realtor in the Oakland and Berkeley area, I believe it makes sense for sellers to wait because it is highly likely that there still will be a dearth of listings in January. Meanwhile, my sellers appreciate the idea that they will be able to enjoy the holidays without needing to wash every cup in the sink or spiffy up the bed every time the dog jumps and messes up the covers.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!