3 Secrets Top Selling Agents Will Tell You About When to Sell

If you speak with a top selling agent about when to sell your home, they will tell you to observe the market, consider seasonality, and strategize your timing.

Thinking about selling your home? If you speak to a top selling agent, they will tell you that one of the best things that you can do is to strategize your timing.

Choosing when to sell your home can be equally as important as deciding how much to list your home for, and which offer is best suited for you.

Since deciding when to sell your home is one of the first things you’ll need to do when you begin thinking about putting your home up on the market, don’t hesitate to access top selling agent secrets on timing your home sale.

Ask a Top Selling Agent: When to Sell Your Home?

Here’s what any top selling agent would tell you if you asked them about when to sell your home, plus additional information about timing your home sale correctly.

1. Monitor Your Local Housing Market

When determining when to sell your home, make sure you’re looking at comparable home sales in your area to gauge the market activity.

When you work with a top selling agent, they will provide you with a list of comps — which are homes similar to yours that have been sold recently.

Your agent should provide you with data that paints a realistic picture of the market.

By observing the results of other people’s home sales, you can get an idea of how much homes are selling for, how quickly they’re selling, and what the buyer demand looks like in your neighborhood.

2. Stick to Seasonal Housing Market Cycles

The housing market is constantly changing, which impacts selling prices, buyer activity, and the amount of time listings usually spend on the market.

When a top selling agent is advising their seller client on when to list their home, they will be looking at the day-to-day sales activity and the seasonal housing market cycle.

Nationally, the housing market activity usually follows a cyclical pattern every year.

Autumn and Winter Slow Seasons

In the winter and autumn months, housing market activity usually slows down amid harsher weather and the holiday season.

The fall and winter months are also back-to-school seasons, so buyers with kids typically like to get into their new homes before their children need to start school again.

Because of these circumstances, many top agents will advise sellers to wait out the holiday seasons.

Spring and Summer Hot Seasons

In the spring and summer months, the housing market generally experiences a rush of demand as buyers take advantage of the new year, warmer weather, and opportunity to shop their markets with ample time.

Recent years have seen high demand year-round, but 2022 might return to seasonal norms.

While each market may experience its individual sparks in demand and slow moments depending on local factors, top agents generally advise their clients to time their listing toward the beginning of spring to take advantage of the annual buyer’s rush.

Be Aware of Days on the Market Stigmas

Homes that have been sitting on the market for a long period of time are viewed warily by buyers who may think that they haven’t been purchased because something is wrong with them.

If you list your home during the holiday season when there is typically lower buyer demand, it’s possible that your home may end up spending too many days on the market — which can become a red flag for buyers.

3. Consider Your Unique Needs and Strategize Accordingly

Some sellers have tight timelines where they need their current home to be sold by a hard deadline, while other sellers have an open and flexible selling schedule.

When discussing when to sell your home, a top selling agent will ask you personal questions to see what your timeframe looks like.

A sharp strategy crafted with your agent's insight is key to making your transaction successful.

The best agents will always advise you to follow your personal timeline based on your needs and circumstances. It’s possible to strategize your home sale accordingly, even if you end up having to list your home during a slow season or in a buyer’s market.

For example, you can always appeal to buyers by offering certain seller concessions or waiving contingencies. If you need to sell by a certain date, you can also have your agent focus negotiations around that point to accommodate your needs.

Get Connected with a Top Agent

To get unique, personalized answers to questions like when to sell your home, how much to list your home for, and more, find a top agent of your own.

The easiest and most secure way to get connected with the best agents in your market is through RealEstateAgents.com.

By analyzing millions of home sales, RealEstateAgents.com reviews and rates agents working in your target market. Based on your needs, you can streamline the process of finding the perfect agent to assist you with your upcoming home sale.

Tom Monaghan
Find Your Perfect Agent