Homes for the Holidays

We are fast approaching Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. Many agents I know like to take a break during the holidays and spend time with family and friends. Nothing wrong with that, and there’s no better time.



But if you’re busy and want to stay that way with a full pipeline of new listings to put on the market, don’t sleep your way through this coming Holiday Season. There are great promotional and advertising vehicles and ideas that make sense during the holidays that just may help you score big for sellers and yourself. If you have a listing that’s just about ready to hit the market, don’t delay. Look around and take advantage of the unique holiday atmosphere, events and functions.

Geographical farming of a neighborhood or area is a bit “old school”, but the holidays are a great time to make some contacts. Everyone is in a more relaxed mood, and notifications can be sent by mail detailing upcoming events such as a Christmas tree raffle, one-on-one visits by Santa or Mrs. Claus for children or grandchildren, Toys-For-Tots pick-up by your local real estate expert, open houses for existing listings, homemade holiday bread deliveries . . . the ideas are endless.

Tales of unique real estate transactions are best described through actual experience, and this was one of my most successful. It was October of 1987 and I was in the third year of a good start to my real estate career. I had just learned that one of my best friends, who lived in my farming area, was relocating to Memphis and would be enlisting my help to sell his Lancaster home. This particular Holiday Season there were a couple of homes in my friend’s neighborhood that were slated to be on a “candlelight tour” which is what gave birth to a novel idea. Since his home was always decorated beautifully inside and out, we thought why not ride the coat tails of the candlelight tour, put up some open house signs and see what happens.

This was before buyer agency, and the market in 1987 was pretty good. Traffic for the candlelight tour and the open house was heavy, and I ended up with two of my own buyers extremely interested. They both had homes to sell, so it was a race to see which of their homes sold first.

I listed both of their homes, co-brokered the eventual buyer for one, sold the other buyer’s home myself and sold that buyer another home in the same neighborhood. All total, I closed five sides of business off of the one open house in early December. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

So make the best of the season. Candlelight, warm fireplaces, soft lighting and holiday trimmings always make for great showings. We know there will be buyers out there. Use the Holidays to your seller client’s advantage, and yours!

Tom Weik, Kingsway Realty

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