How to Make this Winter Your Hottest Real Estate Season Yet
Tips to Sell More Real Estate in the Fall & Winter
Feel that chill in the air? It’s announcing what’s usually a slow season for the Real Estate industry – fall and winter. Don’t let this traditionally sluggish time of year freeze your plans for growing your contact list, especially after the booming summer we’ve had.
Keeping your farm hopping through the winter months may sound like a chore, but we’ve curated some insights on the Real Estate market that point to a busy season ahead − if you take advantage of it− and some helpful-to-use direct mail tactics to engage your contacts through end of 2021.
Housing Inventory
Greater housing inventory means an easier time for buyers. After this year’s high-demand summer caused a market frenzy, business outlets such as Fortune are still expecting a slight slowdown in the winter months. While overall there is still less housing supply than demand, housing inventory is up 30% since spring 2021, which means buyers will have slightly more choices and potentially fewer all-out bidding wars to secure a new place to live.
This is good news for those in your farm who want to move but were scared away from the whirlwind market earlier this year. These conflict-shy buyers may not realize the market is starting to shift more in their favor, so this is where your position as a subject matter expert comes in. Consider engaging these buyers with a simple postcard mailer letting them know the good news – and that you’ll happily assist them in finding their dream home.
Mortgage Rates
Let buyers know the good mortgage rates may not last forever. After the 30-year mortgage rate dropped to an amazingly low 2.7.7% -2.8% this summer, it is back on an upward trajectory (at 3.05% as of October 14). Mortgage rates are predicted to keep rising as new federal policies go into effect and economic optimism increases. You may be able to use this trend to encourage contacts who are on the fence about buying to go ahead and lock in their mortgage rate while it’s still low. Send out a direct mail piece letting your farm know every day that passes could mean a less-optimal mortgage rate, and the time to act is now.
Record Home Prices
For sellers, the end of the year will remain a good time to sell since home prices are still at record highs. Although the market is headed for slower growth, it will still be positive, with respected forecasts projecting home price growth between 4 and 5% in 2022. Since the United States is still underbuilt by around 4 million homes, sellers should be encouraged that their home will be in high demand.
Also, larger trends towards a slowdown across the country may not be true for every zip code. If your area has been in extra-high demand during the summer and inventory is still lower than average, you can use targeted mailing lists to advise sellers it’s still a great time to list homes located within a certain postal route.
iBuyer Boom
As 2021 comes to a close, keep your finger on the pulse of the iBuyer boom. With the market as volatile as it is, sellers may find it scary to dive into the traditional Real Estate market. This fear is enough to persuade some people to sell their home to an iBuyer, cutting out the Real Estate agent entirely. This trend has only increased in 2021, which poses a challenge to you to prove your worth to your contacts.
You can differentiate yourself from these automated options by acting as your farm’s trusted advisor – position yourself as a real, caring human who wants your sellers and buyers to succeed. You have valuable insights into your area and know the ins and outs of your market much better than an algorithm, so remind your contacts that you can help them price their home for the market and understand the unique selling points (and buying points) of each home you represent.
Seasonal Marketing Touchpoints
To continue the momentum from early 2021 and foster a human relationship with your contacts, it’s wise to plan multiple touchpoints through the end of the year. One easy way to do this is to set up direct mail sends with the multitude of pre-made postcard options in your personal marketing tab, which run the gamut from buyer-specific messaging, recipe cards, calendar cards, and holiday reminders. Hundreds of agents use personal marketing options through Xpressdocs’ platforms every month for their direct mail campaigns, and these, partnered with other strategies for the holidays, can help you end 2021 on a hot streak.