Presented by Chris Sanders, Client Market Adviser for Collins Group Realty
Winter? Heck, we have not had a good “Island” snow in a very long time, and we continue to be blessed with pleasant temperatures here on Hilton Head Island. So when sellers choose to sit on the sidelines during the winter months what are they missing out on? Well the quick answer is opportunity!
Hey…it’s not like we get frozen over, making real estate showings and tours impossible. The sun is shining, and what a great time to highlight why someone should consider calling Hilton Head home!!
If you’re waiting until spring to put your home on the market or considering the thought of giving your listing a “winter break”, you might just want to reconsider…
Collins Group Realty recently analyzed sales activity during the past few years in an effort to gauge just how the Hilton Head Island real estate market has been responding to seasonal changes, and what we found was consistency. Although the number of home sales is typically fewer during the winter month, sale prices, list price ratios and days on market statistics tend to hold steady. The fact is we now have an “ANNUAL MARKETPLACE”, and homes not listed will not sell. And keep in mind, the real estate buyer out and about looking to purchase in the winter may just be more motivated to buy and qualified to close then the springtime “tire kicker”.
Like most areas in the Country, we typically have fewer new listings come to market in the winter, but with that means less competition and less competition benefits the seller every time. Hilton Head Island also has the benefit of seasonal visitors, including…yes, the winter visitor looking to escape the colder northern climates.
And finally, we expect “virtual touring” to increase over the winter months, as prospective buyers use the internet to dream or even plan their buying trip scheduled for the spring. Our website traffic has been STRONG and real estate buyers are browsing photos, marking favorites, doing research and talking to lenders. Why exclude your listing from this exposure opportunity…or worse yet, sit back while buyers utilize the internet to focus on someone else’s home?!
So if selling your home in 2015 is on your “to do” list, we strongly encourage you to talk with us soon about a pricing strategy and marketing plan designed to make that happen. Taking advantage of the next few winter months might be very lead the desired goal – selling!