You may have seen many marketing campaigns over this festive period from estate agents. Most of them are recommending that you should place your home on the open market NOW, with the usual line being that lots of people are seeking homes on Rightmove over the Christmas period. Whilst, of course, we too would like to take on a new instruction now, to boost our sales pipeline and hit our end of year targets, our honest view is do NOT rush!
In our humble opinion, and from many many years in the business, actual viewing requests are at one of their lowest levels over this period. Yes it is a time when people look online and make personal decisions about the future BUT it is not a time when serious buyers actually action those purchases. The well considered, serious buyer will sensibly tackle this task in January, when they are back to work (and their advisers are back at work) and then the serious search will start, especially for new properties that come to the market.
Marketing a new property over Christmas
So what do we recommend? It is no time for panic and rushing a sale without the associated stresses, but it can be a time for planning and preparation and some quiet marketing. Let me explain; Although people are looking online over the festive period, you are marketing the property as a NEW listing and there is a danger the potential buyers may have forgotten this new property come the new year (too much merriment!) and it with the competition it often does not sit high on the portals like Rightmove etc. Essentially, it is easier for the property to get “lost” among the many other listings. We would recommend a fresh New Year’s listing; even though in real terms it is a very small time difference, from a marketing perspective it is a listing in 2021 not 2020. Come January 5th it is not seen as “last year’s stock”. Psychologically, although it may be only a week or two difference, a 2021 listing date will be far more recommended.
We do have a number of buyers at this time of year who have not managed to secure a home yet, and are finding the choice available limited. So my advice is this; have your property valued sooner rather than later, monopolise on any festive momentum and let the agent run the property to buyers already registered. Privately, off the market. We have in the past often agreed a quick transaction at the right price this way; the buyers feel they are getting an early, pre-marketing deal, and if they have been active buyers for a while, are happy to crack on and secure a purchase pre-Christmas.
Should this not create the necessary interest, then we list on portals as “fresh” with a 2021 listing date, and then have the best chance of securing a sale as we go into January and February.
In short, contact us. We can work out the best strategy to suit you. We would be prepared to offer a reduced sales fee for these properties taken on pre-Christmas, privately, and ready for public marketing in January. We can photograph now, or later, with or without the accompanying Christmas decorations! Furthermore, we can advertise your property with a premium listing on Rightmove, for no further cost; which pushes your property to the top of portal search results.
Finally, we wish you well for a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year and bring on 2021!
