Most sellers wait till spring to list their homes. There are many reasons why, but one of the biggest is the perception that the market is stronger in those months.
The ratio of buyers to sellers is really what determines the strength of a market. What surprises most people is that the ratio is pretty constant throughout the year. From purely a supply-demand standpoint, winter is an equally good time to sell.
Last winter we saw a huge increase in buyers. It turned out to be the seventh best quarter on record, well ahead of recent years’ spring and summer seasons. This trend has been building for several years now; and the numbers tell us this winter will be even stronger.
What sets this coming winter apart is our historically low absorption rate, which measures the number of months it would take to sell out the current inventory of homes. Any measure below four months indicates a seller’s market.
Our market is at 2.1 months – a strong seller’s market. This is the second lowest reading we’ve ever had. No spring or summer month has had a more favorable rate for sellers. If buyers stay as active as they’ve been, this winter will be one of our market’s best seasons for selling.