Sellers have traditionally been bound by the ebbs and flows of the calendar year. It is advantageous, the thinking went, to put a home on the market in the beginning of the spring and after Labor Day, but problematic to list it around the holidays or during a hot month like August.
The New York Times reports that these rules are no longer as meaningful in the Internet Age, as digital marketing and online listings make it easier for buyers to hunt for a house year-round.
Instead of focusing on the timing, sellers need to consider the price.
“You can list something in the spring,” said Victoria Vinokur, an associate broker at Halstead Property, “but if the property is overpriced nothing is going to happen to it even if, conceptually, it’s a hot time in the market. And if you’ve got a motivated buyer for a particular property, that buyer doesn’t care what time of year it is.”
Advertisement
Related Stories
Sales
Sales and Texting? Know the Rules
Texting your sales prospects en masse can be an efficient way to get your message through if you follow these best practices
Affordability
Will NAR's Landmark Commissions Settlement Lower Housing Costs?
The $418 million deal changes long-standing rules—written and unwritten—that consumers claim inflated sales commissions for home sellers, including new-home builders
Market Data + Trends
January's Mortgage Rate Dip Prompts Some Thawing of the Housing Market
A drop in mortgage rates from recent peaks nudged more homebuyers and sellers into the market, signaling the start of greater supply and demand