It’s the most wonderful time of the year to sell a house!
Every year, I’ve found that hitting that big green "SEND" button in the MLS right at 12:01 AM on January 1st is hands-down the best moment of the year to put a property on the market.
Here’s the thing: buyers go home for Thanksgiving and announce they’re getting married. Mom and Dad say, “Yay! What do you want – a wedding or a down payment on a house?” They come back at Christmas with the right answer. When the new year rolls around, they wake up around 10 a.m. on New Year’s Day, pop a couple Advil, then lay back down for a bit and open up Zillow on their phone, ready to tag properties to talk about over brunch in their pajamas.
But there’s nothing to see.
ALLLL those properties that were hanging around through the holidays – literally from Halloween until last night when the ball was dropping – EXPIRED at 11:59 p.m. last night. And 99% of new-year sellers aren’t going to put their homes on the market until spring.
The truth is, SPRING in Atlanta starts January 1st. And the first few weeks of the year are the best time to capitalize on that concentrated, very-defined buyer motivation.
So, if your property LOOKS GREAT and is PRICED RIGHT, buyers should be lined up at your door after the Advil kicks in and the brunch tab is paid on January 1st.
Take a look at how this has worked out for some of our past sellers:
EXAMPLE 1: The "As-Is" Strategy
In the scenario below, our sellers went with an inspirational list price of $625,000 and marketed the property in "as-is" condition. We offered prospective buyers a pre-listing inspection that our team helped coordinate, along with an overview of some repairs the sellers had performed based on the inspection report.
We obtained five offers quickly starting the day after New Year’s Day. The sellers initially went under contract with a buyer who offered list price but requested seller-paid closing cost concessions instead of repairs. While this buyer backed out during due diligence, our backup buyer stepped in, already fully informed with TWO inspection reports. They didn’t even perform another inspection! The backup buyer had stronger financing, no contingencies, and was much more comfortable with the project overall, resulting in a higher net for our sellers.
EXAMPLE 1: The "As-Is" Strategy
EXAMPLE 2: Over List Price Win
These sellers listed a fully-renovated three-bedroom property on New Year’s Day for an inspirational price of $449,000. Within 48 hours, they received three offers – one at list price, one slightly over, and one significantly over list price.
During negotiations, we went under contract with the strongest buyer while putting the third prospect in backup position. The primary buyer’s offer stood out because they were paying $20,000 over list price, required no seller contributions to closing costs, and waived financing contingencies. The property closed in just four weeks, netting the seller the highest return on their investment.
EXAMPLE 2: Over List Price Win
EXAMPLE 3: The Out-of-Town Referral
This was a really fun one! These sellers were referred to me by an out-of-town agent who had relatives needing to sell in Atlanta. After hearing about our New Year’s Day strategy, they were all in.
We spent December getting the property market-ready, hitting "GO" at 12:01 a.m. on January 1st. The results? Seventeen showings scheduled by the afternoon of January 1st and 72 attendees at the open house that weekend! The property went under contract quickly, with backup offers secured as well. The primary buyer prevailed with no seller contributions to closing costs, no special stipulations, and an early closing. Plus, the buyers gave my sellers 30 days of temporary occupancy after closing to ease their transition.
EXAMPLE 3: The Out-of-Town Referral
The clock is ticking! If you want to capitalize on what might be the best day of the year to go live with your home, we have time left to prepare. New Year’s Day 2025 falls on a Wednesday, giving us a midweek launch window to maximize exposure before the weekend open house frenzy.
Reach out to us at robsmith.com/sell to start your listing journey today. Let us help YOU achieve your real estate goals and make this New Year’s Day your biggest win yet!
