Insiders’ guide to selling a home over the festive season

With the right help, there’s no bad time to sell a property. However, the festive season can present a few unique selling challenges. “Firstly the first thing sellers will need to navigate is the moderate buyer activity as people shift focus to family, friends, travel and entertainment,” says David Jacobs, Regional Sales Manager for the Rawson Property Group. “Just because the buyer pool is smaller doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to attract the right attention, though. In fact, with good marketing and a strategic sales approach, it’s entirely possible to make the festive season work in your favour.”

Here’s how:

Step 1: Nail your valuation

According to Jacobs, valuations are both science and art. “The right price is about more than just a reasonable reflection of market potential,” he explains. “It should also be strategically designed to ensure your property reaches your ideal target audience, and presents a compelling value proposition when it does.” According to Jacobs, professional real estate agents use a number of pricing strategies to get this right.

“These vary from property to property, and need to be backed by real market evidence,” he says. “Regardless of your property type or price point, one thing is always certain: pricing too high is a bad move, and even more so over the festive season.”

Step 2: Get strategic with your staging

“It’s always a good idea to show off your home’s entertainment potential and summer lifestyle,” he says. “Get that pool sparkling, clean up the garden, lay out the garden or balcony furniture, and place a few summer flowers around the house. Your agent should be able to advise you on where to focus your energy, but generally speaking, anything you can do to make your home feel warm and inviting – a place where buyers can picture themselves living their best lives – is going to help you make your sale.”

Step 3: Make the most of viewings

According to Jacobs, property viewings can make or break a sale. He emphasises the importance of allowing your agent sufficient time to show buyers around your property in person. “It is inconvenient having to clear out for property viewings, particularly when you’re getting into the holiday spirit yourself,” he says. “That said, buyers need to feel free to explore and ask potentially awkward questions without being afraid of causing offence.” Of course, live viewings do need to be handled carefully to avoid putting sellers (and their properties) at unnecessary risk.

“I highly recommend discussing security protocol for viewings with your agent,” he says. “You need to feel comfortable that your home and belongings are adequately protected.”

Step 4: Adjust and adapt

Sometimes, no matter how well you plan and strategise, your first entry into the market falls a little flat. Whether you’re not getting enough listing views, or nobody’s following through with enquiries, Jacobs says this is only a failure if you’re not ready to adjust and adapt. “Any good real estate agent knows that market conditions can change moment to moment,” he says. “This is particularly true when buyer activity is slow, as it is during the festive season. A strategy that worked perfectly last week may not work at all for a different property, today. The key is to recognise when things aren’t clicking and identify which levers to pull to quickly correct course.”