Checking The Pulse Of The Kansas City Real Estate Market

It’s that time of year! The leaves are down. It’s getting really cold outside. And the holiday season is here! For home sellers who didn’t get their homes under contract before December, showings typically slow down heavily this time of year. Many sellers analyzing their situation decide it makes sense to take their homes off the market for 30 days or so. Others simply pull it off the market completely and choose to restart in the early spring. Some will wait 90 days so the days on market starts over on their listing. But savvy Kansas City homes sellers will consider all the factors when deciding whether to take their home off the market.

Remember, there may be fewer home buyers out shopping this time of year but there’s also typically far fewer listings – one of the reasons being the sellers who pull their homes temporarily off the market for the holidays! Less competition of course means higher prices for Kansas City home sellers. Probably more important to me, the buyers who ARE out looking are likely not just out kicking tires. If they’re going to be out looking in 20 degree weather, I’m betting they plan to buy a home very soon. The buyers I work with during the holiday season are usually in a great mood too, thinking about family and excited about the prospects of getting into a new home.

Kansas City MLS stats show the month of December is great for sellers in regards to volume of new listings compared to home sales. Corporate transfers are also in the works at this time of year and usually remain abundant through the month of January. As far as the inconvenience, don’t let it be. There’s nothing wrong with picking a day or two – or even a week – during the holiday season where you won’t permit showings. Most people understand it’s the holidays. While taking your home off the market is never ideal, it can be a good compromise to taking your home off the market for a longer period of time.

Posted by Jason A. Brown