There is an unfortunate myth that permeates the worried minds of real estate consumers: Selling in the Spring is the best time to sell your home because it’s the only realistic way to achieve maximum market value for your home.
This is absolutely not the case! While Spring is typically the busiest market in terms of overall sales, this does not automatically translate into higher earning potential. The Fall, traditionally seen as the “second best” real estate market in terms of seasonal timing, is actually a great time to sell for various reasons. In this blog, I’m going to detail the top four reasons why listing in the Fall is a great choice. I will then give you some practical tips that will instill confidence in your ability to achieve top dollar in this particular market.
Top 4 Factors That Benefit Fall Listings
Less Competition
In the Fall, it is undoubtedly true that you will have much less competition than in the Spring. There are fewer Buyers in the Fall market on average, but also far fewer properties that your listing will be competing with. This presents a unique opportunity to stand out among the crowd and work towards a mutually beneficial deal with a prospective buyer. With less listings to compete with, you carve out your unique place in the housing market and actively entice the most meaningful buyers to consider your property.
Market Flexibility
Due to Spring’s inherent competition, there is almost always a large swath of houses that remain on the market in the Fall that were initially listed in the Spring. Some may have been overpriced, and some may have just suffered from failed transactions with unqualified buyers. Whatever the reason, a segment of your listing competition will be from what Realtors call “stale listings”, which are those that have been listed for several month’s time at around the same price. The market is now more flexible in its offerings. Now is your best opportunity to stand out among the crowd!
Buyers Antsy
During the Fall, you will be faced with plenty of opportunities from Buyers that simply didn’t pull the trigger during the Spring months. Many have missed out on multiple offers, while others may have paused their search until the Summer months are over (this is especially true for the family demographics). Whatever the case, those qualified buyers that didn’t purchase in either the Spring or Summer markets are now as motivated as ever to initiate a purchase in the Fall. Buyers get excited about the new influx of homes for sale and come to you with more meaningful intentions and the experience to prove it. Additionally, Buyers are also motivated to purchase prior to Christmas time so they have time to settle in before the holiday season begins.
Fall Colours
This factor is outside the scope of market dynamics but is still worthy of mention. Fall is a period of time characterized by brilliant colours and a certain kind of nostalgia. Your property, especially if it has some natural features included like trees, can now be presented in a way that no Spring listing can! The beautiful colours serve to amplify the beauty of your property in the listing photos and this increases the chance buyers will say “wow!” even before they see your home. This factor is especially relevant to Okanagan real estate! Our valley is blessed by a remarkable change in colour.
List in the Fall With Unshakable Confidence
Here are four time-tested methods that contribute to an excellent Fall listing:
Professional Photography
As mentioned above, Fall presents a unique opportunity to capture the natural beauty of your home. Colours are changing and this can make colours pop and gets prospective buyers excited about certain property features. While I personally always recommend professional photography for your real estate listings, Fall is an especially important time to do so! Allow the professionals to handle this step because it can make a big difference in the final sale price. Buyers want to feel like they’re buying something special. Nothing depersonalizes a property more than poor photos that fail to capture the natural beauty of a given property.
Take Photos Well Before The Snow Flies
Be sure to have your trusted Realtor book your listing photos for a time where snow is not yet likely to be on the ground. In the chance that your listing extends beyond the regular parameters of the Fall market and into the Winter market, your listing will again stand out among the crowd. This is because Buyers can see what the home looks like when there isn’t any snow covering the property’s features. There’s a surprising amount of high-importance property features that can be covered up by those fluffy white flakes!
Be Flexible With Showings
Fall is a time where a lot of people are scrambling. Kids are back in school and adjusting to their new classroom environments, and parents are busy at work while trying to dial in Christmas-time arrangements. It’s a hectic time! There’s a considerable benefit to being more flexible with showing requests on your home. It’s okay to have boundaries when it comes to reasonable showings, but the more accommodating you are to the stressed-out buyers that will eventually be interested in your home, the greater chance they will give you the same courtesy in return.
Go The Extra Mile To Stand Out
Remember all that talk about standing out? Now is the time to lean into this sentiment! All efforts should be made to stand out among the crowd of other listings. This can take the form of upgrading a major component of the home, such as purchasing new windows or replacing an ageing roof. This can also be an aesthetic upgrade, such as repainting the exterior of your home with a trendy colour. Whatever the upgrade, work with your trusted Realtor to determine the most realistic upgrades that you can handle that will serve to make your home stand out.Conclusion
Listing your home in the Fall is a great time to showcase the features of your home that will matter most to the plethora of eager buyers in the market. With the strategic points above to guide you, combined with the help of your trusted Realtor, you will place yourself in a great position to sell your property with steadfast confidence!
Featured Listing
8215 Silver Star Road
This is the rural oasis you’ve been looking for! This custom-built home on a 1-acre parcel features hardwood floors, spectacular lighting fixtures and a lovely vaulted ceiling. There are 3 bedrooms plus a den as well as a self-contained suite on the lower level. Though, these are only some of the greatest features of the home! Head outside to your own private sanctuary complete with a hot tub and gazebo, all surrounded by the trees and other natural features unique to the property. This home also has a detached extended garage/workshop that is fully insulated and wired. So much beauty all wrapped up into one property! This is the type of property that makes Vernon real estate so exciting.
*Click here to see the full listing*
