Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

  A lot of people assume spring is the ideal time   to sell   a house. And sure, buyer demand usually picks up at that time of year. But here’s the catch: so does your competition because a lot of people put their homes on the market at the same time. So, what’s the real advantage of  selling your house  before spring? It’ll stand out. Historically, the number of  homes for sale  tends to drop during the cooler months – and that means buyers have fewer options to choose from. You can see how that trend played out over the past few years in  this data  from the  National Association of Realtors  (NAR). Each time, the supply of homes for sale dipped during these cooler months. And then, after each winter lull, inventory started to climb as more sellers jumped into the market closer to spring ( see graph below ): Here’s why knowing how this trend works gives you an edge. While inventory is higher this year than it‘s been in the last fe...

  If one of the goals on your list is  selling your house  and  making a move  this year, you’re likely juggling a mix of excitement about what’s ahead and feeling a little sentimental about your current home. A great way to balance those emotions and make sure you’re confident in your decision is to keep these three best practices in mind when you’re  ready to sell . 1. Price Your Home Right The  housing market  shifted in 2023 as  mortgage rates  rose and  home price appreciation  started to  normalize  once again. As a seller, you still need to recognize how important it is to price your house appropriately based on where the market is today.  Hannah Jones, Economic Research Analyst for  Realtor.com ,  explains : “Sellers need to become familiar with their local market and work closely with a local agent to make sure their listing is attractive to buyers. Buyers feeling the pressure of affordabi...