Selling at Christmas: A Myth-Understanding
Posted by: Myers Barnes | Published: Dec, 03, 2009“Forget about selling homes in December. No one is buying during the holidays.” MYTH OR REALITY?
Well, you might believe that people do not buy homes around the holidays and my response to you would be that it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Or an excuse. If you want to kick back around the holidays, enjoy! You (probably) need and deserve the break, but don’t base your decision on the lack of buying for a sluggish December because that’s a complete myth-understanding.
Many homes are bought and sold in December, because the desire to fulfill that dream doesn’t go according to the calendar. That’s a myth created by people who just don’t want to make the effort to sell at this time of year.
If you head into December with the mindset that buyers won’t buy, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. However, if you can adjust this attitude and recognize that a buyer is every bit as excited about buying a home at this time of year as any other, then you will succeed where the others failed.
After all, it’s not like the home purchase is coming out of their Christmas budget! Nor will they be moving on Christmas Eve. And I assure you that no homebuyer is waiting for the after-Christmas sales to make the deal on a house.
Everybody needs a vacation now and then. I certainly do! The holiday season is a wonderful time to unwind and excuse yourself from the grind for a bit. A vast majority of people in the non-home-selling world do this every year and without the need to make an excuse. However you choose to spend the holidays selling or celebrating, or perhaps both. I wish you a joyous, safe, and happy season and a very prosperous 2010!
Myers
Posted In: New Home Sales Training
Tags: December home sales, holiday myth, holidays, home seller, New Home Sales, new homebuyers
December 6th, 2011 at 8:41 am
Merry Christmas Myers, I have always felt that folks actually enjoy house hunting/shopping/buying during the Holiday’s.
That is why I think December, Jan, Feb are some of the best selling times of the year.
My theory is this…
They are decorating, cleaning, getting ready to be converged upon by realtives, friends, colleges, for all the festivities. And during all this preparation the conversation may go something like this… “Oh I wish I had a bigger kitchen, and if only we had a newer home, I hate the colors or I am embarrassed for my mother to see the shape my home is in, or We Need New Carpet, windows, paint” etc…
And all this discontent creates a desire to move. Perhaps the rest of the year they are safe and complacent
Now please explain why July and August suck!!!
December 6th, 2011 at 8:45 am
I feel that folks actually enjoy house hunting/buying during the Holiday’s.
My theory is this…
They are decorating, cleaning, preparing for realtives, friends, colleges, for all the festivities. And during all this preparation the conversation may go something like this… “Oh I wish I had a bigger kitchen, and if only we had a newer home, I hate the colors, or We Need New Carpet, windows, paint” etc…
And all this discontent creates a desire to move. Perhaps the rest of the year they are safe and complacent. That is why I think December, Jan, Feb are some of the best selling times of the year.
Now please explain why July and August suck!!!
December 6th, 2011 at 9:28 am
Myers, I love this article! I have been in new home sales for 18 years in the Chicago area, and I have sold a home between Christmas and New Years every single year, except 1 (2008) so every year I look forward to having that sale between Christmas and New Years! I make sure to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family, but then jump right into “sales-mode” on Dec. 26th…it really helps to start the new year out with confidence. I love how you recognize that “we” need a vacation too though so thank you!:-)
December 6th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
I like it!! and i agree, i have already made a sale and it’s december 5th and i have potentially one on they way. Just wanted to mention that it should read 2012 not 2010.
Safe and happy holidays to you and yours.
Christine
December 6th, 2011 at 11:09 pm
Meyers,
My best sales months on the sales floor, was selling new homes from a sales trailer, no models and in December. I didn’t know any better and sold 32 homes from that sales trailer 1/2 mile past the end of the paved road. No power until the 16th of the month. The second time was two years later with a different builder but again no models in a sales trailer and I sold 34 homes in the month of December. This was Denver and in the snow. I later transferred to Houston and as a VP of Sales and Marketing and set in motion a record setting December Sales Event for my 13 subdivisions, simply because I didn’t accept that you couldn’t sell homes in December. It is all about believing and acting on that mindset.