New listings picked up again this week while coming soon listings slowed down and pending sales stayed on its steady upward course. Showings continue to be steadily increasing, on trajectory with 2021 but with March 2022 showings consistently hanging below last year. What I see as a change from last year is strong offers coming in even sooner on new listings but only 4-6 offers instead of the 10-12 offers or more on a property that we saw last year. Of course it is still early… the National Association of Realtors reports that the nationwide average is 5 offers per home.
It has become pretty standard to expect a property will sell in one weekend. The smiling sellers below are a good example. They listed their house as coming soon 3/19, active for showings 3/25, had 24 showings and got four offers all over list price in 2 days… pended the listing 3/27. Not bad, but according to realtor.com the best week to sell is yet to come… coming up soon… read about it in the article below from our blog at Keeping Current Matters…
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com
The Best Week To List Your House Is Just Around the Corner
Are you thinking about selling your house? If so, you may want to make it a priority to start the process soon. According to realtor.com, the sweet spot for sellers is just around the corner. In a recent study, experts analyzed housing market trends by looking at data from the past several years (excluding 2020, since it was an atypical year). When applied to the current market, experts determined the ideal week to list a house this year. The research says:
“Home sellers on the fence waiting for that perfect moment to sell should start preparations, because the best time to list a home in 2022 is approaching quickly. The week of April 10-16 is expected to have the ideal balance of housing market conditions that favor home sellers, more so than any other week in the year.”
If you’ve been putting your move on the back burner waiting for the ideal time to sell, you should know your golden window of opportunity is coming up. If you’re able to get your house ready quickly, here’s what you can expect from that week.
You Should See More Buyer Activity
The article expects higher buyer demand based on what’s happened in previous years. This could result in increased competition among buyers and ultimately a bidding war over your house. And since mortgage rates recently ticked up over 4%, chances are good that analysis is right. When rates rise, experts say buyers often hurry to make their purchase before rates climb higher. As Nadia Evangelou, Senior Economist and Director of Forecasting at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), says:
“. . . Buyers are rushing to lock in lower rates as the outlook is for even higher mortgage rates in the following months.”
Your House Is Expected To Sell Quickly
Additionally, the realtor.com analysis shows houses sell even faster during this week of the year, likely due to the heightened buyer demand. If you work with a trusted real estate professional to price your house right, it should sell quickly. And when homes are already selling in just 18 days according to NAR, that could set you up for a big win.
Your House Will Be in the Spotlight
Since the beginning of the year, the number of homes available for sale has been at or near record lows. According to the realtor.com study, the typical trend for this week of the year is that there will be even fewer sellers on the market. If you list when inventory is low, your house will be the center of attention for eager buyers craving options.
If you’re ready to move fast, you may want to shoot for April 10th-16th as your target goal. Just remember, even if you’re not ready to list within the next couple of weeks, rest assured this is still a hot sellers’ market. If you list later in April, you’ll still be in the driver’s seat.
Bottom Line
Ready to get the ball rolling? Let’s connect and schedule a time to go over your next steps. In the meantime, make a checklist of things you need to tackle to get your house ready. When we talk, we can prioritize your to-do list and get you on the road to selling your house.
