Selling Your Home in the Fall
2026
Is selling your home in the fall a bad idea?
For decades, many believed spring was the only time to sell. Once summer kicked in or school started, families were more settled and less likely to move (barring a job change or other major life event). Also, no wanted to shop for a home during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and the January cold snap.
But that was then. As a result of the Internet, our hectic schedules and mobile lifestyles, the fall months are no longer a real estate dead zone. True, spring is still the busiest time overall. But there’s plenty of action Labor Day through Christmas. Here’s why you should still put out the ‘For Sale’ sign.
Buyers are out looking
Today’s serious buyers look at new homes online 24/7, even through the holidays. If the right home appears, they’re ready to jump on it. In fact, it could be that buyers in the early winter months are even more motivated than buyers in warmer months because they have fewer distractions and are laser-focused on finding a home.
There’s less competition
Many people still buy into the old thinking that real estate slows to a crawl by October and virtually stops until, at the earliest, Valentine’s Day. So, many potential sellers figure there’s no reason to go on the market during these months and wait for spring. That’s good news for you, because less inventory on the market = less competition for buyers.
January can be a good time to sell
If the potential for disruptions during the holidays concerns you, put your home on the market in January. Inventory will still be tight, and there will still be buyers looking. In fact, there may even be more buyers in January than in December. Also, January buyers may be more motivated. They’ve started doing their taxes and realize they need to buy. Or they’ve set a New Year’s resolution to buy a home within the next 12 months.
Ultimately, during the final months of the year, there will no doubt be plenty of motivated buyers in the market, looking for just the right home at a time when there’s less inventory. Doesn’t that sound like a good time to sell?
