Sooner Rather than Later

The holidays are in full swing and people are busier than ever. Events, parties, shopping, family and friends stopping by and house guests on top of regular life. It can be overwhelming. I've found it helps to break the big challenges into smaller parts. If I make a big task into small, goal-oriented steps, I snowball right into January no worse for wear.

Please allow me to suggest that it is the same for real estate. Is someone considering selling their home next year? Homeowners may become aware of an impending move in advance but wait until summer of the year they want to move attempting to time the market for its peak in June, July and August.

In May or June, they make their preparations, hire an agent and get ready to move only to find out that the process of bringing a home to market can easily be drawn out over weeks, and they've missed prime time. Why does it take time to position a home for sale and when is the best time to begin the process?

Well...now actually. Yes, now, on top of everything else that is going on. But remember those small steps? The first step for homeowners is to determine that they are moving. Once that is done, they can call a real estate agent to determine if the home's value meets expectations. A comparative market analysis is a free, no-obligation and non-invasive way to easily answer that question. And once those small steps are begun, the next steps will fall into place.

I feel strongly that the best time to list a home is mid-February. Complete promotion of a listed home does not begin when someone signs a listing contract. Yes, there are "coming soon" opportunities available and the homeowner may get lucky, but more likely it will take time for the advertising, both physical and electronic to become effective.

Whether they collaborate with me or hire a professional, a staging plan and staging preparations will occur. Once complete, photography will be scheduled and processed once the shoot is complete. A real estate agent caravan is added to the calendar. Advertisement deadlines may be a week or more out; photographers, vendors, handymen and gardeners may be booked in advance and all of this takes time.

If a homeowner lists their home mid-February, it may be mid-March before all the preparation is complete and the home is sale-ready. Advertisements are placed once the imagery is complete, but publications have deadlines too. For instance, submissions for Dream Homes Magazine must be placed with high-resolution photographs before mid-month. When someone lists mid-February, an advertisement placed there may not run until April and May, so getting a jump on things is critically important to the timing of it all.

Electronic promotion, such as http://www.Realtor.com, scan a home's promotional platform, including photos, from either my company's website or San Diego's multiple listing service. It travels literally around the world, but those electronic feeds take time to fully populate and become effective. Data on the promotion's overall effectiveness begins to filter back to me within a few weeks. At that point, I can begin tailoring what promotions and where are most effective for a home.

Homeowners are cleaning, possibly redecorating and unearthing buried treasures for the holidays any way. Doing so with an eye toward readying the home for sale in the coming year kills two birds with one stone and saves them time and energy. Create a plan, plan early and break it up into manageable steps between now and late winter to be ready for the busiest selling months of the year. Please call on me now and let's begin the conversation about obtaining a quick sale for top dollar. It is always my pleasure to serve the area's real estate needs, and I look forward to hearing from residents.

Amelia Smith works with Pacific Sotheby's International Realty; she can be reached any time at (760) 505-1553 or visited at http://www.AmeliaFSmith.com. Her broker's license is BRE #01017964.