As the cold weather settles in, families too will settle in to find respite from harsh temperatures—and an overall harsh year.
Historically, with the holiday season comes low home sale volumes, which we can’t imagine will change as coronavirus infection rates reach all-time highs in the U.S. But for real estate agents, now is not the time to let go of the gas pedal. The winter months are the perfect time to work on your 2021 plan and continue to step up to get homeowners excited and prepared for a successful spring.
Come Spring, Buyers and Sellers Will Be Hungry
We can expect a lot of home sellers and buyers to hole up for the holidays, but come spring, both groups will emerge ready to take action.
Buyers Are Waiting
As the year comes to a close, and incredibly low interest rates hold steady, many buyers haven’t been able to secure the homes they want within the especially fierce seller’s market. Many others have been sitting safely on the sidelines—waiting for a little more stability before they begin their search. Spring is undoubtedly going to be an extremely competitive buyer’s market due to pent-up demand—and you and your sellers better be ready.
Cozy’s Getting Cramped
As coronavirus infection rates rise and temperatures fall, families are cozying up inside. But as cozy gets cramped, homeowners will begin to search for more comfort. Homeowners should start considering their home sale now while there’s still time for the preparations necessary to get the home ready for the spring market.
Preparations Are a Must
Most homes need at least some updates before listing. Which updates are best depends on two things: target list price and target timeline. By using the slower, winter months for home improvements, you can ensure that there’s enough time to complete the right updates without sacrificing your sellers’ plans.
Achieve the Right Price
In many markets across the U.S., inventory is low and buyer demand is high, resulting in bidding wars and multiple offers above-asking. But high demand isn’t the only factor that goes into sale price, is it?
You may receive an offer well above asking price because of high demand and low supply, but that won’t change what a property appraises for—and even if the appraisal comes through, your sellers could still sell for more. In order to ensure that your sellers achieve their target sale price, updates may be required to raise the value. Make sure to do your research to determine which updates will actually raise the value of the home enough to get the price right.
Get Your Timeline Right
Home improvements take time. Large projects can take weeks and even small projects require planning if you and your sellers have a target listing date in mind. We can always start later, but we can never go back in time. By offering Curbio to your clients, you can get the process started now to be sure your listings are ready for spring!
Plan out our 2021 marketing strategy
Every successful agent wears multiple hats and one of those hats is that of a marketer. Don’t kick off the new year without a solid marketing plan in place. Use the quiet months to refresh your marketing materials, build out your communications calendar and brainstorm new channels to break into.
We’re here to help! We’re providing a $500 marketing credit to all agents that begin new projects with us. Whether you’re looking to update your headshots, spread the word about a listing or level up your prelisting presentations, we’re here to provide you with the support you need to win listing and close sales. Speaking of closing sales—we’re also providing complimentary, post-renovation 3D tours that you can use in your digital listings to better show off homes online.
Introducing homeowners to Curbio is the sure way for you to win more listings this winter!
We’ll manage and execute the entire project no matter the size, so you and your sellers don’t have to take on any added stress, which is especially important during the holiday season. Additionally, out of concern for everyone’s safety, we’re providing financial assistance for temporary accommodations. Your sellers might even think of the temporary relocation as an escape from the homes they’ve spent a little too much time in this year.
Most homes need at least some updates before listing—and home improvements take time. Show sellers that you’re on the ball and can help them achieve their target list prices without sacrificing listing timelines or time with family, and they’ll be sold.
We’ve got your back! Get started with free winter marketing templates.
Olivia Mariani is the director of Marketing at Curbio. To learn more about Curbio’s pre-listing home improvement solution and how it can help you grow your business, visit curbio.com.
