Should You List Your Home Over the Holidays?
The conventional wisdom says wait for spring. The conventional wisdom is usually wrong. Here's the case for listing in November.
Every November, half the sellers I talk to ask the same question: "Should I list now, or wait until February?" The honest answer is: it depends, but more often than people think, now is better.
The myth of the holiday slump
Buyer activity does dip from Thanksgiving through New Year's, but so does inventory — and it dips more. The ratio actually favors sellers in late November and early December. Buyers in market in that window are serious; tire-kickers are home with family.
Who you're competing against matters more than how many buyers there are
When you list in February, you're competing with every seller who waited for spring. When you list in late November, you might be the only quality home in your zip code that week. Scarcity is leverage.
Staging for the season
Keep decorations minimal and tasteful. Warm lighting, neutral garlands, no Santa figurines. Buyers should picture their family in the home, not feel like guests in someone else's holiday.
One real downside
If your home shows poorly in dim light or has dated landscaping, photos in November won't help you. In that case, spring is genuinely better. Be honest about your house's strengths.
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