I am in the MLS every morning. It is one of the first things I do to start out my work day. I have metrics in each zip code that I track, so I can really be tuned into the market and understand the best time to sell a house. First, I’ll talk about straight numbers, then I’ll go into the best time for strategy and yes, there is strategy.
A good agent doesn’t just put your house on the MLS, put a sign in your yard, call it good and wait for a buyer. A good agent goes into any home sale with different strategies that a seller can use to get the most money in the shortest amount of time. That’s always the goal in selling a house, right?
By numbers, by sheer numbers, as you would expect, the best time to sell a house is summer. Well, that’s only part of the story.
Summer is the time with the absolute most action and movement in the real estate market. It usually begins around May or so and we start to see that arc go up. Then in September, we start to see that arc go down. One time during that window is when school starts which here in Pueblo is usually at the beginning of August. Around that time, we see a momentary slow down, but then things pick right back up until that end of September, beginning of October timeframe.
Although during the summertime, there is a flood of homes and plenty of activity, it doesn’t mean it’s actually the best time to sell a house.
We can talk about the flood of the homes available, but it also means that we have more buyers and more buyers means that they can be more picky. They have more inventory to choose from. The whole supply and demand thing, ya know.
If you wait for a little bit slower of a season, there’s less competition with other sellers, and there’s always buyers ready to buy. Also, these buyers are more committed and not just looky-loos, they actually want to commit to something. So we are soon heading into what I think are the best months to sell a house here in Pueblo. Listing your house in the first quarter of the year, which means January through March.
That is an amazing time. We are past the holiday season and that slow down. People are also getting their tax return money back. This means that they can put that money towards buying your house. Less inventory also means you’re in higher demand.
Buyers are still out there looking all throughout the year. They don’t just go away. We have movement every day.
If you’re concerned about weather… while we do get some snow, it’s not often enough to really become a burden. As long as the sun is up and that sky is blue, we’re in the clear. We know it’s going to melt. When it goes down though, it does get a little chilly.
The other piece is your realtor’s attention to you. Less houses on the market means that your agent can give you plenty of their effort in selling your home.
You won’t be competing for their attention with other buyers and sellers during those really busy summer months.
To sum up while summer is the busiest time for the real estate market, quarter one, January through March, are really the best months to sell your house.