As a real estate professional, you know there are pros and cons to selling a home any time of year. Winter can be harder, but with the right marketing, pricing and decorating, you can illustrate why buyers should purchase a home this winter. Read these tips, and you’ll have no trouble meeting your sales goal this season.
Update Your Listing and Marketing
Make sure your listing stands out by adding seasonal touches to your listing descriptions and photos. Consider updating exterior photos to match the season, as outdated pictures can make a listing seem stale.
When marketing the home, promote it as the best holiday gift for buyers and their family. If it’s past the holiday season, market the house as a new home for the new year.
Set the Right Price
Just because there are buyers out there, doesn’t mean it’s the right time for optimistic pricing. Remember, there are still fewer buyers in the winter season, so focus on the home’s value. If you price the home in line with the market, serious buyers will come out of the woodwork.
Take Seasonal Precautions
When it is frigid outside, imperfections such as furnace problems, poor insulation, drafts and leaks are impossible to hide. Before a showing, make sure the HVAC system is working properly and check for drafts by windows and doors.
If you’re selling in an area that experiences snow, ice and sleet during the winter, the driveway and walkways must always be shoveled and salted.
Play Up the Season
While winter does come with a few perils, it’s also one of the most beautiful and magical seasons of the year. Have a little fun outdoors and build a snowman to greet your visitors. Inside, appeal to the senses. Hang a wreath, place winter foliage near the door and entice buyers with the aromas and tastes of winter treats.
Increase the Cozy
When the weather outside is frightful, make the home you’re selling more delightful. If the home has a working fireplace, use it. The warmth, light and crackling of the fire will draw people in.
Add warm, cozy textures like velvet pillows, flannel sheets and down comforters on the couches or beds and candles in the dining room or kitchen.
For more resources to help you succeed in any season, sign up for MyQL Agent Insight.
Lauren Nowacki is an author at ZING! by Quicken Loans.
