WAKE UP!!!!
CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
Author: Brenda Everson~Shaw
Interview with Philip Howard of ReMax Spectrum
Do Buyers Really Look For a New Home During the Christmas Season?
REAL ESTATE SELLS YEAR-ROUND!
A professional to the core, when you list your home with Philip Howard he goes beyond the call of duty to find precisely the buyer you are seeking.
Real Estate sells year-round.
For over 33 years Phil has been specializing in Residential Real Estate as well as Commercial and Land Development South of Boston, Massachusetts and throughout Plymouth, Bristol and Barnstable Counties.
A Broker with proven experience, Philip is based out of the ReMax Spectrum office in Pembroke, MA, one of the four offices owned by ReMax Spectrum.
If you have been putting off listing your home until after Christmas, call Philip to discuss your concerns and you will get an honest, professional answer. Real Estate sells year-round.
Phil Howard is a former Massachusetts licensed appraiser, a current licensed Massachusetts Real Estate Broker and a Certified Buyers Representative (CBR). Cell: 617/803-1516
Email: phoward@remaxspectrum.com
Those searching for a new home have become very educated in using the internet to find the home of their dreams. Potential buyers such as first-time buyers and the empty nesters browse often.
Phil Howard Shares: Buyers are looking for a home to buy regardless of the time of year. Real Estate sells year-round. An experienced Real Estate Broker will be available to bring potential buyers to your home ANY TIME OF THE YEAR!
Yet there exists a myth which has become real concern by homeowners: no one shops for homes during Christmas. False, false ! This is a real MYTH!
Keep in mind; fewer people are looking to purchase during the Christmas season. Thus, as a buyer there will be less competition and fewer multiple offers. There are homes for sale, but houses to view are few, as sellers too believe the myth….no one shops for homes at Christmas. False, false!
Some sellers request home views be put on hold during Christmas. Mistake, mistake!
If you listed your home in October and still do not have a P&S, you DO NOT want to discourage a potential sale by limiting the days when a buyer can view his/her potential new home.
Real Estate sells year-round.
In 2018 there were 62,209 single family homes and 23,265 condominiums sold in the month of December. That is a total of 85,474 home sales in Massachusetts in December of 2018. (according to Massachusetts Association of Realtors).
I asked Philip Howard to give me some professional tips for the Christmas season to alleviate any concerns the home sellers and buyers may have…..Brenda Everson~Shaw
Do buyers really look for a new home during the Christmas season?
As a ReMax Professional Broker, Phil suggests the following tips to those who have their homes for sale during the Christmas season:
CURB APPEAL: decorate to capture the spirit of Christmas. Keep lights and lawn decor,such as Nativity scenes, low-key. Don’t overcrowd your yard with ornamentation which can distract from the vision of your home by those driving by who are looking for their next home. Use those air-filled plastic decorations next year at your next home.
The perfect Christmas decorations for exterior.
INTERIOR: don’t over-decorate. Don’t cover your great selling features with so much glitz and décor that the true highlights of your home’s features are masked. Instead, decorate to enhance your beautiful home. Your mantel or your fireplace, doors and windows…..simple but elegant. Decorate to enhance your beautiful home. Keep your home warm and cozy for those serious buyers who are coming in from the cold.
Simple but tastefully decorated living room.
IMPORTANT: Be sure all walkways, steps and driveways are clear of snow and ice. You do not want a potential buyer slipping on ice or frozen snow!
Hint: Bake Christmas cookies prior to when potential buyers are due and leave on the counter. The smell of Christmas will be in the air. Everyone loves the aroma and taste of the Christmas cookie!
Consider the fact that you get one chance to make a first impression!! Same is true when presenting your home.
KEEP THIS IN MIND
Buyers and sellers alike used to believe that home sales coincided with dates of when school is in session. There are hundreds of thousands of buyers able to move any month of the year.
Today, the share of the national population who are under the age of 18 is at an all time low of 24%. (Annie E. Casey Foundation data, aecf.org)
Life’s situations come up when folks simply HAVE to move. Because we live in a changing economy, dependable jobs are hard to find AND, often hard to keep, even for the high-ranking CEOs.
If an employment opportunity presented itself and it meant relocating, few responsible adults would refuse the position….even during the Christmas season!!
Year end is often when corporations decide an employee needs to be relocated to another site or a new employee will be coming to your town. Such situations call for the need of a home sooner than the spring. Another reason listing your home during the holidays can often result in a speedy sale.
Real Estate sells year-round.
After the Christmas shopping is done there are days when people are relaxing in the comfort of their home scrolling through real estate listings.
Discussing what 2020 will bring them, often they begin to think “this is the year to make a change”.
LOST POTENTIAL SALE!
Suddenly YOUR home listing pops up on their screen and they call the broker only to hear viewings have been put on hold until after the New Year……LOST potential sale!!!!
If your listing is still active at Christmas and people are asking to view it, they are most likely ready to make a move. They are searching the Internet daily to find the home that is perfect for them.
THE GOAL IS TO SELL YOUR HOME
To all home sellers and to all potential buyers, we would like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.
Brenda Everson~Shaw and I, Philip Howard, want to wish you the sincere best in finding the home of your dreams or, if you are selling, we hope that the next person to walk through your door will find YOUR home IS the home of their dreams!
And remember……Real Estate sells year-round.
Remember all who serve our country
This is not intended to solicit property currently listed for sale.
