“The property market is dead at this time of year”... “there’s no point looking at houses until January”... “we might as well wait until Spring to sell”... it’s that time of the year when the following phrases are thrown around almost as much as the curious whispers over who got who in the office Secret Santa. However, the idea that the property market comes to a complete halt over the Yuletide season is just another festive tale - and agents need not believe this Christmas story.
There is, of course, a short period over the Christmas break when people are too busy spending time with their loved ones to think about houses. Though the main reason there are far fewer properties being listed in late November and early December is because people are more reluctant to put them on the market, further pushing the idea that agencies stop working over Christmas and leave sellers stranded out in the snow. It’s the ultimate Christmas catch-22.
However, you have the power to keep the market moving... In fact, the Christmas season can be a great time for agents to generate leads and drive business - simply because not many others seem to do so.
Instead of winding down for Christmas, agents should be conducting business as usual, continuing to send out their prospecting campaigns and building their pipeline for 2022. That way, you can end the year on a high rather than starting from scratch in January! Here’s how...
Shout about your success
If you’re not telling homeowners in the local area that you’ve sold another property, you’re missing a trick. Even during the festive period, this is one of the most compelling messages a homeowner can receive. Shouting about your agency’s successes in the area with ‘sold in your road’ campaigns plants your agency’s name in their mind so if they ever think about selling their property, or at least getting it valued, you’ll be at the top of their list.
One-off seasonal campaigns
Another way to continue promoting your agency is by running one-off seasonal campaigns. Sending Christmas postcards and staying in touch with past clients will remind them that you’re still working over the festive period and are available if they do ever decide to return to the market - whether that be in the next few months, or the next few years.
Actively prospect in your area
You can also quash ‘The Christmas Myth’ and continue generating leads over the festive season by actively prospecting. Agents that start warming leads now and building their pipeline will have plenty of leads to work on when the office opens again in 2022. Employing an off-market focus (like within Spectre) is a great way to find interested buyers and applicants who might be hesitant to list their home because there isn’t anything they like currently on the market. Instead, reaching out with your services and offering to help them find their perfect home will in turn convert hesitant homeowners into strong worthwhile leads. Agents can also offer their expertise to those that have withdrawn their property from the market out of fear the market would stall over Christmas. However, reassuring these homeowners that this festive lull need not come to fruition, means you stay proactive in your prospecting and ensures you keep the market moving ready for the new year.
Encourage hesitant buyers and sellers
One way to make the most of the festive period is to put yourself in the position of a buyer. If someone is looking for their perfect property, and on December 12th they receive an alert from the portals with details of their ideal home, they’ll likely be worried about what to do next - especially if they believe all agents generally shut down over Christmas.
Instead, supporting buyers and explaining that waiting until January could mean potentially missing out - not to mention the likelihood of their property becoming just another one of the hundreds of others who waited until the New Year to sell up - will ensure your agency’s profits keep turning during this time.
‘The Christmas Myth’ has slowly become a self-fulfiling prophecy; the increase in customers and agents who believe the property market grinds to a halt over the festive season swiftly leads to a decrease in properties on the market - for this exact reason. The most important thing an agent can do to not let this affect their turnover is by continuing with an active estate agency, prospecting and reaching out to potential leads to show them that ‘The Christmas Myth’, is well, just a myth.
