Perks of Selling a Home in the Fall

In my previous post, I discussed why buying a home in the fall could be beneficial to you as a consumer, but I had someone comment and ask if there were any perks to selling in the fall. The short answer: of course! There is no “bad” season to sell your home. There are just higher amounts of activity during certain parts of the year, but year-round, there are people that need to move for one reason or another, and houses are still being bought and sold everywhere. You don’t ever need to panic if your life situation changes in a season other than the summer and you have to sell your home–and here’s why:

Home Showings

If you’re selling in the fall, then you have the added bonus of selling during one of the most beautiful seasons the world has to offer. You can definitely take advantage of the cooler weather by literally inviting them in from the cold and into a warm, comforting environment. Homes also show well when they’re decorated to fit the season, and autumn has done most of the work for you already with the colors. This is your opportunity to make your home seem festive and inviting, and show off its best attributes. Leverage the natural beauty of the season to your benefit.

Inventory Reduction

Because the market winds down a bit in the fall, the “for sale” inventory is much lower, which automatically may increase the demand for your home. You’ll have less competition since buyers have less options during this time. The smaller the amount of homes on the market, the more traffic and interest your home will have.

Motivated Buyers

The usual annual height of the real estate market is the summer, so if someone is buying during the fall, it means that they most likely have a pressing life change such as a new job that requires them to move quickly. Because of this, you can bet that the majority of people visiting your home are serious about buying, and are not simply window shopping.

Marketing Advantages

We live in an age with lots of marketing “noise.” We are constantly surrounded by ads, so when you’re trying to get your own marketing message out there, especially if you’re trying to sell your home in a timely fashion, it can be difficult to stand out. If you’re selling in the fall, this noise, in general, is muted. Since inventory is lower, the marketing messages are fewer, and this means less confusion and clutter for buyers. Your message will be more noticeable and prominent, buyers can easily search and find what they’re looking for, and your home’s marketing efforts won’t get lost in the mix. On the contrary, it will be seen by more parties and the pool of people it reaches will be more concise–your marketing efforts get almost double the usual return!

As I said in my post yesterday, there are clear advantages to selling or buying at any season. The best time to sell your house is when you are ready to sell your house. People will always move for a variety of reasons throughout the year, so if you know the right way to utilize the season to your advantage, then you’ll have no problem selling. Always do what’s best for you, and don’t force yourself to sell when neither you nor your home are ready. Your real estate agent should be able to guide you and share great tips to help your home sell in any season. Just relax, grab yourself a pumpkin spiced latte, and give us a call!