I did an informal survey of real estate agents, asking them this question: Should people list their homes over the holidays? Sorry, but there’s no surprise statistic here. Answers were split right down the middle—50/50 for yes versus no. Some agents thought the timing would be an advantage. Others thought it would just be an inconvenience. The best comment I heard was, “Well, it depends on how bad you need to sell.â€
That really sums it up in a nutshell. If you need to sell you home, and sell it now, then listing through the holidays makes sense. Many folks take their home off the market this time of year, so inventory’s reduced and buyers have less to choose from. Another advantage: Your house can look fantastic for showings if it’s all decked out in holiday cheer. Count on fewer showings, but as one of my respondents pointed out, if you do get a showing you can be certain those potential buyers are motivated. No one’s a casual looker during the holidays.
Disadvantages? You may get calls for showings when you have family and friends in town. You and your extended family leaving the house for a couple of hours so buyers can walk through isn’t fun. As I mentioned before, the number of showings will be less because December is just too busy for most folks to even consider a major purchase like this. Some realtors advise against listing homes during the holidays since you’ll rack up “days on market†with little activity to show for it. However, the counter point to that argument is that any activity is better than no activity.
With all of that said, I should let you know that my first sale in real estate came in the month of December. People still move in December. Companies relocating employees don’t care what month it is, and many of those employees need to be in their new jobs with new homes come January 2nd.
If you can wait, do. But if you need to sell now, don’t let Santa Claus stop you.
