Login
iscover
Christmas and New Year is the festive season. People take a break from work, and the hustle and bustle of life, to enjoy time with their family and friends. Selling or buying property is generally not top of mind.
In fact, historically speaking, the real estate industry comes very close to a grinding halt between Christmas and the middle of January. Some agencies have even written off that month altogether, instead forecasting an 11-month year assuming that the December-January window will be somewhat obsolete.
But, with the rapid adoption of new technologies, is this still the case?
Throughout the pandemic, smart real estate agents have adapted, utilising newer and smarter technologies, and giving them the opportunity to write figures remotely using Zoom, Real Time Agent, Whatsapp, videos, and even Facebook messenger. If you continue to use these technologies, this period of time may actually be prime for market movement, especially when you consider some restrictions are still placed on travel and there is still an understandable fear of COVID mingling around, meaning people aren’t going away as much as they would in previous years. Add to this that people can do business remotely, agents can still work through the break if they want to.
Yes, it has been a rough year. A rough two years, really. And many in the real estate industry want time off now, more so than ever. But, if you can have the best of both worlds – a bit of downtime and still maintain the ability to write figures relatively easily, wouldn’t you want to do it? I believe the fact that people have embraced technology with such gusto means that even those who are sitting on a beach up the coast or watching their kids fly down the waterslide can and will still be interested in buying and selling property; simply because it can be done remotely and with ease. Agents have become accustomed to doing deals remotely, and consumers have become accustomed to FaceTime and online viewing. Why mess with a good thing?
Usually, summer and the festive season have been a dead time in the market because people have been away and too busy to deal with open houses and banks. Now though, people are remaining at home, or at least, close by, and the market is still hot. Plus, there’s talk about an interest rate rise next year and a resulting change to the market, so consumers may be wanting to offload properties prior to this. The result is that Christmas may even become the “new spring”, meaning the market will continue through the festive season.
So, as an agent, how can you successfully sell during this time?
First, schedule your open for inspections around your own holidays. Remember, other people may be away, but if you’re offering virtual inspections, this shouldn’t pose a huge problem. Also, ensure you are still scheduling auctions for January.
Second, if you are planning to go away, remember, you can still sign up property listings over the phone or remotely via Zoom. While you may want to switch off and relax, a couple of phone calls here and there to garner business won’t hurt. If you’re going to utilise the festive season to your advantage, you still need to have the “spring market” mindset, which means you can’t totally switch off. Remember, we’ve had 12 quiet months of stop/start business, now is the time to grind.
If you consider that the market will possibly change next year as interest rates move, now is the time to make your own move. There’s a small window of opportunity to capitalise on the current climate. Utilise technology, and don’t be afraid of the summer festive season – it’s where all your hard work may just pay off.
Adam Flynn is the state director of Coronis Group Victoria.
You are not authorised to post comments.
Comments will undergo moderation before they get published.