If you are planning a move, the holiday season brings a familiar question: Should you put your house on the market or wait until the holidays are over?
If your home is already listed, you may be considering another option: taking it off the market temporarily and bringing it back after the season ends.
Neither decision should be automatic. Many buyers still want to purchase a home during the holidays, and your house may be exactly what they are looking for. The right choice depends on your plans, the homes competing with yours and how you want to manage the selling process.
Here are four reasons to consider keeping your selling plans moving, along with practical questions to discuss with your real estate agent.
1. Buyers Still Need Homes During the Holidays
The desire to own a home does not stop when the holidays begin. Some buyers put their search on hold until the season ends. Others need to move because something in their lives has changed.
Those buyers may not have the option, or the desire, to wait. People who continue looking during the holidays are often motivated to make their move happen and eager to buy.
Investopedia has described people shopping between Thanksgiving and New Year’s as likely to be serious buyers. Its point is straightforward: Attracting a serious buyer during that period can sometimes result in a quicker sale.
That is a possibility, not a promise. Listing during the holidays does not guarantee an offer or a particular timeline. But it is a reason not to assume that everyone has stopped looking.
Focus on Your Plans, Not Just the Calendar
Fortune Builders has also noted that while many people step back from real estate during the holiday months, the season can still present opportunities for a deal.
For a seller, the useful takeaway is not that holiday selling is always better. It is that waiting is not automatically better, either.
Ask yourself: If a motivated buyer wanted your home during the holidays, would you be ready to move forward? Discuss that answer with your agent before deciding to delay or remove your listing.
2. Your House May Be an Option Buyers Are Missing
The number of homes available matters when you consider selling. Buyers looking for more choices may welcome a home that fits what they have been searching for.
Keep inventory comparisons in context. If the supply of homes has increased slightly but remains below pre-pandemic levels, that increase alone does not mean buyers have plenty of options. At the same time, do not treat any inventory comparison as a permanent description of your market.
For your decision, ask your agent to review the homes competing with yours. Make the conversation about your situation rather than assuming that a holiday listing will face either too much competition or none at all.
Pair the Opportunity With Market-Value Pricing
The original reasoning behind selling during the holidays includes an important condition: Work with an agent to price your home at market value.
If buyers want more options and your home is priced at market value, it could sell quickly. Your property may be just what someone has been waiting to find.
That does not mean you should expect a quick sale simply because you list during the season. Keep the opportunity and the expectation separate.
Before choosing a listing date, ask your agent to explain the recommended price and review the available alternatives buyers will see. Then decide whether that pricing approach fits your moving plans.
3. You Can Plan Showings Around Your Schedule
One understandable concern about holiday selling is the disruption. You may want to welcome buyers without making your entire schedule revolve around home tours.
You can determine which days and times are most convenient for showings. Setting those windows can help minimize interruptions during an already busy season.
Some buyers may also have more flexibility because they have time off from work around the holidays. That could give you and your agent more room to find workable showing times.
Decide What Works Before You List
Talk through your schedule with your agent rather than waiting until showing requests arrive. Be clear about when you are comfortable having people tour the home.
- Which days would you prefer to keep free of showings?
- What time windows would be easiest for you?
- Are there holiday gatherings you want your agent to plan around?
- Where could you be flexible if a buyer requests another time?
The goal is to make your home available in a way you can manage. You do not have to choose between ignoring your holiday plans and automatically postponing the sale.
4. Holiday Decorations Can Help Buyers Picture Home
Homes decorated for the holidays appeal to many buyers. For those buyers, a welcoming room can make it easier to imagine gathering with loved ones and creating memories of their own.
The key is restraint. The decorating advice cited in the original article is simple: Let decorations accent a room rather than overpower it. Less is more.
You do not need to turn your home into a holiday display. Take a look at each room and ask whether the decorations complement the space or dominate it.
If you are unsure, ask your agent to walk through with you. Keep the focus on presenting the home, with holiday touches playing a supporting role.
Make the Decision That Fits Your Move
There are good reasons to consider selling during the holidays. Buyers may still be motivated, your home may provide a welcome option, showings can be planned around your schedule, and simple decorations may help buyers picture themselves there.
Your next step is to review pricing, competing listings and showing availability with a real estate agent. If selling also means buying another home, reach out to Ed Parcaut to discuss the mortgage side of your next move.
