Is the Holiday Season Really a Good Time to Enter the Market?

Charlotte Real Estate Podcast with Dan Jones

Why is the holiday season a good time to buy or sell? The months of October, November, December, and January actually present a lot of great opportunity. Also, the market is much less competitive during this time. People tend to say they want to put their home search on hold during this time of year, but the truth is that these months are a great time to buy or sell. Ultimately, great homes will move off the market very quickly. During the spring and summer months, these kinds of listings are going to go especially fast and see several offers. However, as the year rolls around to these later months, people step away from the market and listings get a lot less attention. This presents a great opportunity for those who are willing to stay in the market during these months. Less competition means you can likely negotiate a lower price as a buyer. “Why wait to list or buy until the busier, more competitive months of the year?” However, there are a lot of benefits for this time of year from a seller’s perspective as well. The only buyers on the market at this time of year are buyers who are very serious about finding a home. While you still need to price your home aggressively, you definitely won’t need to worry about flaky offers. Selling your home at this time of year isn’t like selling your home in spring or summer. Buyers aren’t merely floating from open house to open house; they are actually serious at this time of year. As a seller, you’re going to be able to dictate who, when, and how your home is sold at this time of year. Why wait to list or buy until the busier, more competitive months of the year? Waiting will only make things harder for you. Earlier this year, I had a client call and tell me they wanted to sell their home in the next two years. At the time it was June, and they asked if I thought they should list right then and there. Because they weren’t in need of an immediate sale, I actually advised them to wait until the later months. For homes in smaller neighborhoods, the level of competition you see in the spring and summer markets actually makes those more popular times of year less than ideal to list in. Being caught up in a lot of competition isn’t the ideal way to enter the market. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.