The nights are darker, the days are colder, and everyone seems preoccupied with Christmas, so your agency might be tempted to take its foot off the peddle.
However, there are a few upsides to selling property during December:
- Many sellers want to avoid the added stress of putting their house on the market in the run-up to Christmas. So, generally speaking, buyers have fewer homes to choose from in December, meaning your client’s property will have less competition. On top of that, the limited range of options might enable your client to command a higher price for their property, resulting in more commission for your agents!
- It’s also worth noting that due to the hectic nature of December, buyers attending property tours and researching homes before Christmas tend to be more serious about buying. As such, the sale has real potential to move quite quickly.
- Building upon the above point, the holidays are also a time of reflection. People are more likely to consider fresh starts, including job transfers, which, again, can prompt people to search for new homes with the genuine intention of buying.
Given all the above, what can your agency do to sell your client’s house as quickly as possible during the lead-up to Christmas? Stick with us as we explore a few tips for accomplishing precisely that:
1. First impressions count
Often, the property’s front exterior is the first thing a prospective buyer sees when they attend a house viewing.
First impressions count. In fact, most property purchase decisions are made within just 15 seconds of the viewer being at the residence!
As December marches on, the likelihood of ice and slippy leaves coating driveways and pathways is higher. Although we want viewers to fall head over heels for the property, we don’t want them to do this literally! (Pardon the pun)
To avoid such an accident, encourage vendors to keep a supply of salt to de-ice walkways before viewings. Sweeping away leaves is another thing clients can do. Not only are these precautions good from a health and safety perspective, but a clean route means cleaner shoes! In other words, viewers won’t bring as much dirt and mud into your client’s home- a win-win!
Lastly, if your client can’t schedule viewings during the daytime, ask if they have an outside light. If they do, encourage them to switch this on for the viewing. This allows prospective buyers to get a better view of the outside of the home and helps them see where they’re walking!
2. Publish the listing as soon as you can
The sooner you can arrange a time with your client to take property photos and floor plan measurements, the better. Needless to say, the quicker these assets are ready, the sooner you can publish property listings to attract potential buyers.
In fact, on average, when agents use FocalAgent products and services (like professional photography and floor plan creation), the property sells 21 days quicker! If that’s of interest, you can learn more about our 5-star rated photography service here.
Top Tip: Exude positivity when talking to clients about the practicalities of selling their home. Vendors might be sceptical about attracting potential buyers over the holiday season. However, if you seem optimistic, this helps to instil confidence in your vendors.
3. Be proactive
By ‘being proactive’, we mean speaking with your vendors as soon as possible to stress the importance of being flexible regarding viewings.
Pro Tip#1: Consider encouraging vendors to keep a few dates free specifically for viewings. Not only does this keep everyone on the same page, but it’s also easier for clients to schedule time to prepare their homes for viewings (in other words, cleaning, decluttering, etc.)
To make viewings more manageable, consider hosting an open house. When we spoke to Mark Buskuhl from Ninebird Properties, he provided the following advice:
‘Instead of just having regular open houses, consider hosting holiday-themed ones. This can be a fun and festive way to showcase the house, and it will also attract potential buyers who are in the holiday spirit. Consider offering seasonal refreshments and playing some cheerful holiday music to create a welcoming atmosphere.’
While we’re already on the subject of viewings, it’s also wise to ask clients if it’s possible to conduct viewings during daylight hours. Visiting a property in the dark doesn’t give the buyer the full experience – especially if the residence has a garden.
Pro Tip #2: Monitoring the weather forecast is also wise. If possible, avoid rainy days (poor weather always puts people in a bad mood!). Instead, you want clients to showcase their properties in the best possible light, so a crisp, sunny day is ideal.
4. Encourage clients to erect a sale board
This might sound old school, but hear us out.
During the festive season, lots of families and friends enjoy winter walks, which means potentially more traffic passing your client’s house. By erecting a large for-sale sign outside your client’s house, you might attract the attention of someone looking to purchase in that area.
5. Use social media
Don’t give up hope if you don’t sell your client’s property by Christmas. Between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, people have lots of downtime for scrolling on social media. So be sure to capitalise on that!
If you’re taking some well-deserved time off over Christmas, schedule a few social posts to go live on your agency’s social media accounts at a pre-defined date and time. Plenty of free scheduling tools, like Buffer and Later, can help with this.
Pro Tip: Make these posts as engaging as possible. Use high-quality photography or, even better, videos to showcase your client’s properties.
If you need help creating social property videos, FocalAgent can lend a hand. As many as 90% of viewers watch our highlights videos through to the end – making these assets invaluable for capturing the attention of prospective buyers!
For more information about our professional property videos (or any of our other services that could help you sell your client’s properties faster this Christmas), please contact us today!
