You’ve probably heard the word “Season” and associated it with the traditional 4 seasons. here is only one real estate Season in Southwest Florida and we’re in it now. People down here don’t think about the changing of the seasons as our weather is nice all 12 months of the year. High season here runs January through April, depending on when Easter is. Some people go home before taxes are due the middle of April.
Each year we know January will be a slower month for closings, and it builds until about June. This makes sense because many June closings happened in April. We expect showing to increase starting mid-January. I just checked showing statistics for our MLS and the average home is receiving 2.2 showings the first 8 days of January in the $200-$450k price range in Fort Myers. Other price ranges vary. Last year showing stood at 2.4 showings the first 8 days.
We have more showings this year because there is more inventory, but it’s down slightly per home. I wouldn’t read too much into 8 days of data. As you can see from the graph, February closings should be slightly higher than January. March is when you’ll really start to see the increase, if 2018 is anything like past years.
If you’re a buyer, you probably want to get your bids in before other buyers start buying all the listings. If you’re a seller, now is the time to get your home on the market, as the rush is coming.
If your home is on the market and not receiving offers, you’ll want to make sure you’re priced correctly by February. Your best chance will be February and March, so you don’t want to miss that market. Even though we have a rush of buyers here in Season, over-pricing is a sure-fire way to make it not sell. Buyers will purchase, but nobody likes to overpay.
Sellers want to make sure their home is properly exposed. We have more buyers here in Season, but if they don’t see or know about your home, it won’t stand out. We take extra measures to make sure our listings stand out. For instance, a sign is not enough to expose a home. We use advanced digital marketing techniques, as well as traditional print marketing like the newspaper and yellow pages.
You might laugh and say traditional doesn’t work, but we have sold some properties directly off these old and proven mediums. As for digital, this encompasses everything on the Internet to email to mobile advertising. We have an advanced way to target buyers looking for exactly what you must sell.
For instance, Google, Bing, Facebook, and others know if you’re shopping for back to school clothes or for curtains for your home. They’ll serve up ads to you because they know that’s what you’re currently looking for. The same is true for housing. We know how to reach waterfront buyers, golf course buyers, condo buyers, first-time home buyers, 55+ buyers, and on and on. Whatever you’ve got to sell, we know how to reach the buyer.
It is quite advanced, and it really works, as long as your home is priced correctly. We can send all the interested buyers your way, but if the home is over-priced it still won’t sell. If you’re shopping for an item online and it’s $85 on one site and the same or similar item is $65 on another, people will purchase the better value. Sellers must turn their focus off what features and upgrades cost and more on the overall value. You must think like a buyer. What would you do if you were the buyer?
We can help you price your home correctly. We offer advanced marketing for your home too, so we can get your home sold for top dollar and faster than the average Realtor. All Realtors are not the same. Call Sande or Brett 239-489-4042 Ext 4 to list your home, or speak with one of our friendly and knowledgeable buyer agents to purchase your next home. Visit www.LeeCountyOnline.com to search the MLS like a pro for Free!
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