Stats Back Up Selling In The Fall
I'm a big fan of statistical analysis, so it shouldn't be a surprise to you that I enjoy daily fantasy sports. The person who can best tie those data points together and find the most value will win 80% of the time. Fact! It's not luck. It's being the most prepared. The same goes for selling your home. The past few weeks I have heard "It's not a great time to list our home because of the season" at least 5 times and you know what? They are wrong.
Going back to 2014, closed home sales from 11/26 to 12/31 have been no less than 201 for that date range. That means that the LOWEST number of homes that CLOSED from Thanksgiving to Christmas since 2014 is ONLY 201. For a time of year where 'homes don't sell' that is pretty impressive. What's even more impressive are the number of pending sales in the BNAR right now. As of this writing, 339 homes are pending and are estimated to close in the next 30-60 days. The last few years have looked like this:
2014 - 201 Closed
2015 - 234 Closed
2016 - 261 Closed
2017 - 226 Closed
2018 - 339 Pending
Droves of buyers are out there. And they are buying. Right now! I urge you to use the information at your disposal to make educated decisions. If your agent isn't using this information, AT A MINIMUM, get a new agent. I know of several agents who advise against selling in the fall in order to try and jump start the spring market in February and March. While this plan of action may benefit some, it doesn't benefit all. In fact, with relative low inventory (more buyers than sellers available), it's quite possible to sell your home faster and for MORE than you would in the spring.
Do you want to sell fast this fall? My top three recommendations for getting a quick sale RIGHT NOW are:
1. CLEAN YOUR HOME - Your place should be immaculate!
2. PRICE AGGRESSIVELY - Don't give it away, but don't be greedy.
3. BE FLEXIBLE - If your home is on the market, be flexible and responsive to buyer requests. If someone has enough interest in your home to request a showing, don't lose a potential buyer by not being responsive or acting bothered. Keep the fish on the line.