Should I list with a boutique or big brand agency to sell my property?
Summer is Coming – Should You Sell Now?
As this year draws to a close it is the generally accepted consensus that almost everything needs to shut down in December. Some folk work throughout the break and of course essential services continue to be needed no matter the season. Selling your home during this time could be another exception to the rule. Many homeowners are advised to “wait for the new year” and not list over the Christmas holiday period. Is this because everyone including people in the real estate industry want to focus on family, food, and festive celebrations? Fair call, but it is wise to consider the upside to a Christmas holiday selling campaign. Like opening the doors on an advent calendar, Tracey and Trevor’s 10 pointers will help you decide what you want for Christmas in the sale of your home.
1. Home for the Holidays
While you’re ready to don the party hats, prepare for Santa’s arrival and throw more sausages on the barbecue, flip the script, and look at how having your home listed over the holidays can work in your favour. This is an optimal time of year when capturing people making big decisions about their lives regarding career, relationships, and finances. This could get you ahead of the competition. Putting your home on the market during this historically quieter time of year for real estate will be a strategic move that pays dividends in surprising ways.
2. Agents Working Right Through
The assumption that your chosen agent or agents and their administration staff will not be available to field enquires and answer calls is understandable. However, Tracey and Trevor have always handled every step of the transaction themselves, so they are not at the mercy of company close downs and staff taking annual holidays. East Realty is based in the beautiful holiday destination of the Bay of Plenty where folk flock annually to savour what locals already know. Tracey and Trevor are therefore always on hand for liaising with you and your buyers, poised to deal with holidaymakers who inevitably realise that they don’t just want to visit Tauranga – they want to live here.
3. Gain from Bucking the Trend
If your home is on the market at a time while others are waiting for everything to “get back to normal” then as a homeowner, you’ll be selling against a lot less competition. Current trends are seeing greatly increased volumes as, among other things, interest rate hikes and post COVID migration decisions which create a surge in listings. Trade Me are currently showing over 1200 listings on the market in Tauranga alone so your best chance to get your property to stand out without as many others in contention, would make Christmas the time to make hay while the sun literally shines. The old saying that you should zig when others zag was never more applicable in this instance.
4. Blue Sky Thinking for Photos
It hardly needs pointing out (and with some of the crazy weather we have had lately it could be debatable) that the summer months assure more settled and obliging weather for a photo shoot. The predictability of fine weather keeps the campaign on track for launch day and removes at least one of the stumbling blocks to a smooth marketing schedule. Additionally, you can “sell the sizzle, not the sausage” with photos of outdoor barbecue areas, flowering gardens, and a sparkling back yard pool. The photos and drone footage taken on a sunny and windless day will please our professional photographer and guarantee that your home is looking its best. However, perhaps reconsider the installation of a 3-metre inflatable Santa with reindeer dominating the front yard for our hero shot! We advise that for a Christmas photo shoot you keep the decorations inside and out within reasonable limits, but we also love Christmas so fill your boots with these handy tips for those days when the family arrive for the turkey and pav!
5. Get Your Legal Ducks in a Row
East Realty may not be going on holiday, but your solicitor and local council offices will be closed and likely not back on deck until at least middle of January. You’ve made the decision to sell over the Christmas holidays, so you’ll need to have the paperwork completed and ready to deploy in the event of serious enquiry and an offer. Tracey and Trevor will arrange for your solicitor to check and approve a Sale & Purchase Agreement in advance – even if you’re not coming on the market for a week or two, let’s make sure we’ve got this critical contract ready to activate when the time arrives. Forewarned is forearmed as they say. Ordering the LIM report from your local council should also be done well in advance although they can be fast tracked at an additional fee – at this hectic time of year we recommend this course of action.
6. Price Spells Clarity for Out of Towners
Your potential buyers may be visiting over the holiday period. They could be coming with caravan or trailer, to pitch a tent in the campgrounds, renting a holiday home or staying with family. Either way, they are not likely to be au fait with the market in Tauranga and may become frustrated if they see a home advertised without pricing. We recommend that you price your home over this period to provide clarity, transparency and motivate buyers to reach out. They will be far more likely to react positively to your marketing strategy if they have a clear picture of a price that corresponds to their budget.
7. Bumper Issue of One Roof Property Guide
We are proud to showcase our listed properties in One Roof’s high-quality Bay of Plenty Property Guide. This go-to publication is the bible for many buyers who will often kick off the process of moving house by picking up the latest issue as they walk past the ice cream shop, on the way to the beach. They can dare to dream amid the pages and pages of property as the kids build their sandcastles and run in and out of the tide. The extended shelf life of the bumper Christmas issue is hugely advantageous as your home’s advertisement will be in circulation for 3 weeks rather than the usual one.
8. The Benefits of Increased Readership
At a time when buyers are relaxing in holiday mode, the property guide and online property sites get well-thumbed and scrolled. Capturing people in their most relaxed and open mindset is a marvellous opportunity to make a sale. The Property Guide readership increases at this time of year and in the absence of other distraction is digested far more thoroughly by a greater number of people than at other times of the year.
9. Time and Tide Wait for No Man
Many of your buyers who will be researching their next move have the ticking clock of the school term or a new job to consider. By listing your home at a time of year that dovetails with an important deadline for families, you are further optimising the chances of enquiry from motivated buyers who want to settle as early in the new year as they can.
10. Sold, Sealed, Delivered – I’m Yours
The satisfaction of having your home sold by agents who have committed their summer months to your goals and dreams is testament to their commitment, passion and loyalty. East Realty promises to maintain a seamless and smooth summer campaign minimising the impact of viewings so you can head off to the beach or bush and leave all the hassles to professional advisers who have your back.
Convinced that selling your home in Tauranga over the holiday period is right for you? Visit Tracey and Trevor East at https://www.www.eastrealty.co.nz/ or call us on 07 578 6736 for a confidential discussion on how to make this a Christmas full of glad tidings and great joy for the successful sale of your Bay of Plenty home.
