6 Holiday Showing Tips

Listing during the holiday season can be a bit more challenging as your clients compete with other activities for buyers’ attention. Yet it offers some bonuses as well. Here are some tips for using what is traditionally a slower period to your clients’ advantage.

#1: Sell Hard Against the Competition

With fewer homes for sale during the holiday months, it can be easier to claim “shelf space.” Focus on the most attractive aspects of your listing in relation to other homes on the market and be sure to make them known to prospective buyers.

#2: Set the Stage

One of the easiest ways to create a sales advantage is by devoting time and budget to staging your listings. Being able to use holiday decorations can make a home feel warmer and more inviting. It can also help prospective buyers envision how their lives will look if they were to move in and to picture where and how their family memories will be made.

#3: Weatherproof What You Can

When you are showing a property, it’s worth the extra effort to protect the floors, carpets, and furniture from anything that could be tracked in from outside. Plan ahead to provide a clean, organized method of storing coats, shoes, and boots during (and between) showings.

#4: Bake Cookies

Take advantage of the season to bake some cookies before showings. It will add a sense of coziness that would seem out-of-place at other times of the year, but perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the season.

#5: Stay Active Online and in Social Media

These days, a lot of initial buyer engagement starts online. This is true any time of year, but particularly when people are busy and the weather is colder. Be sure to maintain a high profile with targeted emails, social media posts, video sharing, and relevant website content. Post a video tour, feature photos of the home’s landscaping taken during the spring and summer, and share positive comments from earlier showings. It all helps keep your listings top-of-mind among potential buyers. 

#6: Cast a Wide Net

Pursue motivated seasonal buyers, such as transferring employees, military personnel, or incoming graduate students and staff at local universities. Check in with clients who may wish to consider short-term rentals that would terminate just as the market heats up in early spring.

Traditionally, weather and holiday schedules can slow down buyer traffic during the last months of the year, but they needn’t slow down your efforts. When buyers are still looking, it’s likely that they’re highly motivated. Capturing the attention of these buyers by treating them like guests at a holiday party can boost the effectiveness of your seasonal showings.