Susan Galletto Lic. RE Salesperson GRI (NYSAR Graduate Realtor Institute Designation

 Selling A Home This Spring? 5 Reasons You Should Talk to an Agent Now

People like to talk about the hot spring market, but the truth of the matter is that winter can be the perfect time to sell your home. Housing is one of the basic human needs, and buyers who need houses right now aren’t going to wait around and twiddle their thumbs until March. Read below to find out why this might be the perfect time to reach out to a real estate agent about listing your home.

Time to Plan for Selling Your Home

If you want to target the spring market, reaching out to a real estate agent in the winter can give the two of you time to collaborate on a targeted marketing strategy and promotional schedule, letting you hit the ground running and giving you a leg up on the competition once the weather starts to turn. Also, if you aren’t sure of exactly how you want to proceed, having a few extra weeks to consider your options removes that “ticking clock” urgency and ensures that you will be happy with your final decisions.

Prepare and Repair Your House

Speaking to a real estate agent sooner rather than later also gives you time to consult with that agent about potential issues with your home and address them before it goes on the market. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and being able to proactively address problems before buyers encounter them ensures that they’ll see your home in its best possible light. Even if the home and its systems are all sound, there are little things you can do to improve your chances, like touching up exterior paint and planting flower bulbs.

Less Competition for Home Buyers

If you were hesitant to list your home in the winter, you probably weren’t the only one – it’s normal for sellers to have those kinds of reservations. If any of those competing sellers decided to wait, though, that reduces the pool of potential competitors for your listing, making it more likely that you will have the undivided attention of prospective buyers. Separating the wheat from the chaff creates an ideal environment for your agent’s targeted marketing efforts to reach the right buyer for your home.

Home Buyers Are More Serious and Motivated

While there aren’t as many buyers in the winter, the ones who are out there looking tend to be highly invested in finding a suitable home as soon as possible. If they weren’t, why would they be braving the cold and snow in December or January? They might be corporate relocation buyers who are moving to a new city with the turn of the new year, or parents who want to get their kids settled in a new school district before the spring semester starts, but whatever the reason, they represent high-quality leads who deliver a much better return on your time and marketing efforts than buyers at more popular times of year.

More Home Buyer Availability

With holiday breaks and vacations, buyers are better able to do a deep dive into their home search during the winter months. They have more time to conduct online searches and larger windows of time in which to arrange showings of interesting listings. Enabling that deeper level of investment in your listing can make them more likely to fall in love and decide to buy.