Conventional wisdom holds that Winter is a bad time for selling and that the Spring and Summer seasons are the best. Although this rule-of-thumb is not incorrect, the more accurate answer is that the best time for you to sell really depends on your situation.

Proper timing of your property’s sale is dependent on your motivation and your goals. Regardless of the season and the performance of the market, one unique feature of real estate as an investment is that because it has a tangible use as a home or rental, there will always be buyers and sellers.

In my experience, Winter can be a great time for sellers who are committed to selling and understand that different pricing and marketing are necessary. An imminent move or relocation, a pre-foreclosure sale, or other personal circumstances may occur in the Winter that will necessitate a sale. I find that my buyers who are seriously looking for a home during the Winter tend to be especially serious and have a shorter purchase timeframe. For serious buyers who need a home, the lack of competition, limited choices and reasonable sales prices may give a Winter seller a combination of factors that would lead to a solid home sale.

Historically, the Spring and Summer markets see the most real estate activity. These can be great times to sell because there are more buyers in the market. Longer daylight hours, warmer weather, and kids that are out of school bring more buyers to the market, which may increase demand and competition for your home. For the past several years, increases in pricing of real estate - when proportioned based on the season - tends to be highest in the Spring and Summer months. In the core Seattle and Eastside areas, the time necessary to list, sell and close on a property is also shorter than at other times of the year. Another benefit of Summer sales is that the weather is generally cooperative, so there is less dirt and moisture that is tracked into your home from the buyers and agents who are viewing it.

And what about Fall? Early Fall has traditionally mimicked the performance of the Summer market. September provides a gradual segue into the Winter market.

In short, what’s the best time to sell? It depends on your situation. That will be an important topic for us to discuss when we meet.