While the summer season tends to bring out the biggest number of buyers, the winter is often the opposite, and the Bay Area real estate market is no exception to the rule. There’s just something about the cold and the rain that seems to deter buyers and keep them away from looking around except the most serious interested parties. Alameda, set next to Oakland, CA can be affected just as much by the seasonal slowdown and may be even more, being coastal. It’s at these times that attracting serious buyers matters more than ever to avoid having a viable property sit as a listing for months during the wet season.
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The typical reaction to a real estate market slowdown is for buyers to lower their listing price, basically attracting buyers with a low-ball offer versus what the competition might be offering for sale. Unfortunately, this approach ends up creating a bit of a price war between sellers and a buyer’s market, with price platforms falling lower and lower until demand pushes them upward again. However, there are other options available to don’t require a dramatic stab in the wallet.
1. Change out the advertising photos of your property. Don’t rest on old photographs that are out of season. Particularly in areas where a person lives in regions that have noticeable seasonal changes, like snow, take recent photographs and show the house in real time imagery instead. This gives viewers and serious buyers a more realistic awareness of the property versus a photograph from last spring or summer. Fall is one of the best times to take photographs of homes because the colors are the most vivid and full. Additionally, the hard summer sun is not present anymore bleaching out the photograph.
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2. Price the property realistically. Nobody is going to pay attention to a property that is at the top of the price range, especially if the location doesn’t seem to show anything that would justify that kind of price point versus the competition and other inventory for sale. Instead, aim for the middle of the pricing pack to attract the largest number of mainstream buyers. And, if the interest is too low, you may want to consider taking the property off the market until the months begin to get warmer again and there’s more shopping activity.
3. Don’t bundle up a home with typical winter activity, i.e. shut curtains and closed in rooms. Buyers want to see the home with natural light, which means opening up the windows for the sun and natural light to come in. Of course, this doesn’t happen every winter day in Alameda or elsewhere, so plan open house days and appointments on those days the weather forecast says will be the most pleasant. Additionally, have the heating level raised to a comfortable point or start up the fireplace. Buyers should visit the home at a comfortable temperature level, not so cold that they have to keep their jacket on inside. The more cozy the place is, the more likely the buyer is going to be interested and give the location serious consideration.
4. Trim the holiday trim.
There’s no question that the cold months through December have some of the biggest holidays to celebrate. However, if you’re focused on trying to sell a home, the last thing to do is bury the place with Thanksgiving or Christmas decorations. Keep the festive wear to a minimum. There’s nothing wrong the proper placement of a Christmas Tree, but you don’t need 50 small Santa hats everywhere or Christmas candles in every room and hallway. People want to see the home for sale, not your ornament collection.
5. Get the curb appeal back up to par. The first thing buyers see is the house exterior, and in Alameda homes are not that big with expansive front lawns, so the little things get noticed far more often. This can be a bit hard in winter when everything is in hibernation and the leave are all gone. However, fresh exterior paint, new bark, cleaned up landscaping and new flowers can all make a big difference for very low cost. Also make sure to remove all old tools, garden parts and junk from the side of the house or the backyard. If needed ,put the items in storage. Too much junk leaning against a home, and a buyer will be turned off by a listed prospect.
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Again, those serious enough to be out in the colder months looking at an Alameda open house tend to be far more serious and active in purchasing. They’ve done their research and have a very good idea what they are looking for. They rarely include the time-wasters who frequently show up in the summer just to look at homes but have no real intention to even entertain a sale. The winter crowd also includes bargain hunters looking to take advantage of lower pricing during the cold season and slower selling activity. These are oftentimes homeowners as well who are selling their property and looking to scale up. So they know what they are looking for with far more detail than in the summer.
