School calendars and seasons have dictated the Southern Maryland real estate market for decades. Buyers look most actively in the spring and early summer so that they can find a home and close before school starts.
As a result, most sellers postpone listing their properties over the winter or during the holidays. They wait for the warm days of spring, which let them show off their outdoor spaces and landscaping.
In the past, most buyers were families, so these cycles worked perfectly. But things have changed. Today, most Southern Maryland buyers are empty nesters or young millennials. These buyers don’t rely on seasons and school schedules to decide when to buy a new home. These new types of buyers are active all year – including the fall and winter and during the holidays.
Conventional wisdom may disagree, but fall is the best time to list your Southern Maryland house. There’s much less competition compared to spring, and you might even find you fare better financially if you sell this time of year.
How can you attract these two types of buyers? Here are some tips for making your home appeal to them.
Marketing to millennials
For Southern Maryland millennials, the market is always on. They’re active buyers – especially when their tablets or smartphones are within reach. They are always connected and attached, and they will look at listing and analyze information any time of the day. This means you need to have your hose show-ready at all times.
Don’t expect millennial-age buyers to wait for an open house. They prefer to see homes that appeal to them on their own time. Be ready to accommodate this brand of buyer. As soon as you list your home, make sure the photos of it are great. These impatient buyers want to see photos of your house as soon as they hear it is available.
Millennials tend to be very visual, which makes it even more important that you get high-quality photos to make your listing more effective. Work with your Southern Maryland real estate agent to contract a professional photographer. Great photos attract buyers; give them what they want.
Attracting empty nesters
Compared to millennials, Southern Maryland empty nesters are more old-fashioned, slower, and rather methodical. Don’t rush them!
Most of these buyers are looking to downsize, which means they want to sell their current home before buying a new one. They may even take a loan against their current home so they can buy the new one. All of this financial juggling can cause stress at the negotiating table. Empty nesters need time to internalize decisions.
Unlike millennials, empty nesters could be less responsive. They may not respond immediately to text messages, and they may not check their email outside of traditional business hours. Be sure you have a way to contact them that accommodates their needs and schedule. You might drive these buyers off if you make them feel under the gun or rushed.
Buyers with 50 or 60 years of life experience will come to the negotiating table more informed. They’ve been through financial and housing ups and downs, and this can make them cautious as they get closer to retirement.
Good salespeople seek to understand their buyers before selling to them, and this holds true when it comes to Southern Maryland real estate. As the seller, you need to be ready to encounter buyers who are quite different from you. Be prepared, and know what each type of buying will be looking for. Once a potential buyer is on board, learn everything you can about who they are and find an efficient way of working with them. Buyers are different, and what works for one may not work for another.
Waldorf MD Homes for Sale and Real Estate Services in Southern Maryland. You now have a search engine to help you with your Southern Maryland home search! And I’m ready to provide you with a custom home valuation if you’re considering selling your home. Let’s connect to discuss how I can help you. Contact Kimberly Bean at 301-440-1309
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