What Is the Best Time of Year To Sell My Home?

 How you can prepare for the spring market by planning ahead, budgeting your time, and getting in early.

As a real estate agent, one of the most common questions I get from potential home sellers is, “When is the best time of year to sell my home?” The truth is that the best time to sell is when you need to move; however, if you’re determined to try and time the market, the best time to sell is when you have the least amount of competition. In most markets, that means selling in late winter or early spring. Once spring hits, inventory increases rapidly, and you’ll have to compete with tons of other homeowners. If you truly want to hit the optimal selling window in late winter or early spring, here are three key things you need to consider:

1. Plan early. The more time you give yourself to plan out your home sale, the better. Getting your home ready for the market might involve a lot more work than you thought of beforehand, so don’t procrastinate. I recommend giving yourself a three to four months headstart before you list for things like pre-listing consultations, staging, repairs, and more. If you want to sell at the optimal time in late winter or early spring, that means you need to start these things as soon as possible.

“Get ahead of things by listing as early as you reasonably can.”

2. Budget your time. It can take 60 to 120 days to sell your home once you list it, but many homeowners still have a mentality leftover from the pandemic market, when homes would sell in as little as a week. That’s why I recommend working with your agent to plan out what you need to do to hit the optimal selling window. Once you have a schedule, it will be easier to budget your time and sell at the perfect moment. 

3. Beat your competition to the market. If you have a choice between listing earlier or later, list earlier. Once the spring frenzy hits, supply increases exponentially each month. All those sellers are competition that will make it harder for you to get the best deal possible, so try your best to beat them to the market. It’s tempting to wait for prices to increase as demand picks up, but this isn’t a good strategy. By the time you enter the market, you’ll be chasing a wave of demand that has already passed. Instead, get ahead of things by listing as early as you reasonably can. 

If you want to sell this spring and get the best deal possible, your first step should be to have a pre-listing meeting. Just call or email me, and we’ll go over your situation, your goals, the market, and more. It’s 100% free and no obligation. I look forward to hearing from you!

How Is the Real Estate Market Right Now?

“How is the housing market right now?” I’ve been getting this question a lot recently, and I understand why. This is the time of year when people plan their moves for 2025, but it’s difficult to know what you should do without understanding where the market is at. The truth is that our market can be summed up in one word: Normalization. While the red-hot market of the pandemic is far behind us, the market isn’t heading for a crash anytime soon. Instead, things are balancing out. Here are three things you need to know about our normalizing housing market: 

1. Competition is increasing. There are more homes for sale in the U.S. than there have been since before the pandemic. For buyers, this means more options For buyers, this means more options. If you’ve been frustrated by the lack of options, now might be the time to reenter the market. Meanwhile, sellers need to reset expectations about how long it will take to sell. You can still get a great deal in this market, but your home probably won’t fly off the market like it would have a few years ago. 

2. Prices are increasing slowly but steadily. In most markets around the country, prices are still increasing, although it’s at a modest pace. Redfin expects prices to increase by 4% in 2025, which means sellers need to be careful about not overpricing their properties. Prices are increasing, but buyers are savvy enough to know when a property isn’t worth what you’re asking. Meanwhile, buyers can be confident that they will start building equity as soon as they close.

3. Condition matters. Right now, there is a large gap between homes that need a little work and homes that are in pristine condition. Good-quality homes still sell quickly and for top dollar; they might even create a bidding war among buyers. On the other hand, homes in need of repairs could sit on the market for a long time. Buyers don’t have a ton of extra cash on hand for repairs after closing, so small investments upfront could make it much easier to sell your house.

These points are broad strokes that are generally true for most markets across the country. However, you should know that real estate is hyper-local. What’s happening in your neighborhood might not be true for your area in general. If you want to learn more about your local market, call or email me for more details. I’d love to share more information with you.