The fall real estate market: Educate your clients

The fall real estate market is always an interesting one, and 2020 is threatening to shake things up even more than usual. Today, let's dive into exactly what you need to know in order to better educate your clients:

Traditionally, the fall real estate market is a bit different than those in other seasons. After the end-of-summer wane in interest, when folks are getting in one last vacay and getting ready for back-to-school, the market wakes up around September.

Notice that qualifier? “Traditionally.” Not much can be counted on to remain traditional during the current there-is-no-end-in-sight COVID-19 crisis.

Yet, sellers will sell and buyers will buy and it’s up to you to prepare them for what remains the same about buying and selling a home in fall.

Need more sellers? Be sure to check out these fall lead gen techniques.

Bring your sellers up to speed

Many would-be home sellers are fence-sitting right now. Unsure of the market, apprehensive of the health implications of strangers coming into their homes, they are sadly missing out on one of the best sellers’ markets ever.

You probably have some of these people in your CRM. If you’ve done all you can to prove to them that it’s the best time to sell and that they can sell while still protecting their family’s health, give it one last shot.

Offer an absolutely free (of price and obligation) photo session of the exteriors of their homes. Provide urgency by reminding them that their homes are far more attractive now, in summer, than fall so their photos will stand out in the MLS, should they decide to sell in the fall real estate market.

Since there is no obligation to list their homes and the shoot is free, they have nothing to lose.

Create a compelling marketing piece around this offer and use it in your newsletter, direct mail marketing, email marketing, on social media and on the homepage of your website.

Those who are already planning to list need some reminders:

Time is of the essence. Autumn will whiz by and we’ll be smack dab up against the winter holidays before we know it. The earlier their home hits the market, the better.
Get the ducks in a row quickly and efficiently. This means pricing the home appropriately out of the gate, sprucing up the exterior, staging, etc.
Remind them that autumn front-yard maintenance will be ongoing while the home is on the market. Keep the rake handy.
Closing before Thanksgiving week should be their goal, if at all possible. You and I both know that title companies and lenders’ offices become ghost towns the closer we get to the holiday.

Get your buyers on the right track for the fall real estate market

Getting pre-approved for a mortgage before shopping for a home is even more important when someone chooses autumn to shop for a home.

Again, it’s a short window if they hope to be in their new home by Thanksgiving, so getting the loan stuff out of the way as soon as possible is ideal.

They should also be checking out neighborhoods in their price range to determine which ones are best for them. This way, when there’s a new listing in one of these areas, your clients can be among the first with their feet in the door.

Ah, fall appliance sales. They’re a huge lure for new homeowners or about-to-be homeowners. Remind them not to buy anything on credit until they close on the home.

Despite the past no longer being a predictor of the future, sellers will sell and buyers will buy. It’s up to you to prepare them for what remains the same about the fall real estate market.