If you've been thinking about selling before the end of the year, it is important to keep in mind the general market activity during this time. In most years, we tend to see a slowdown in overall activity from August to January year over year. You can see in the graph below, the significant dips towards the end of each year that showcases the decrease in detached homes sold here in San Diego.

This tends to occur because people are back into the swing of life post summer, and are in preparation or in the midst of the Holidays. While it is certainly possible to sell and have a great experience doing so, you'll want to make sure you develop a strategy that takes this slowdown in the market into consideration. Thus, I'm sharing with you what I would do if I were planning to sell my home before the end of 2025. So here is my game plan to give you an idea on how to prepare and to succeed.

Strategically developing your pricing
This may be the most important step of all. If you listen to nothing else but this, you'll set yourself up for success when it comes to listing, and most importantly, selling your home. Because overall demand isn't as high as it is in the spring or summer, you'll want to counteract that by creating your own demand through pricing. If you price too high, you will likely not gain the attraction and leverage to ensure a quick sale at the best price possible. When you price at, or even slightly below, you are not leaving money on the table, as some might say. In fact, you'll most likely get more that you would if you priced high, and then had to do a price reduction or two. Because inventory is still under the 6 month mark here in La Jolla, it is still a sellers market, so you have the advantage of tapping into the buying pool who is still looking during these months, potentially leading to multiple offers, which gives you the ability to call your terms.

Hire an expert to guide you
Honestly, you can likely Chat GPT everything I'm about to share with you in this newsletter, but having access to knowledge is one thing, and then knowing what questions to ask, and how to guide you through the knowledge, is a whole other deal. With our expertise, and the ability to support you and all facets of the transaction as you navigate through the sale, you are truly getting a best in class experience when you choose us to partner with you on the sale of your home. Whether it is with us, or someone else you already know, being able to trust your Real Estate Agent to guide you is key.

Prepare to wow with prep and staging
First impressions are everything, and it is no different when it comes to listing your home for sale. The most important work is done prior to the photography, as almost all buyers get their first glimpse of your home online through the images provided. What this looks like is having your real estate agent walk through your home weeks out from the list date so they can provide opportunities for how you can eliminate clutter, complete necessary repairs or improvements if needed, and then recommend a staging company who can truly make the magic happen. The benefits of staging are proven, with an average investment of 1% of the sale price into staging, about 75% of sellers saw an ROI of 5% to 15% over asking price, according to data from the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA). Also, a recent survey from the International Association of Home Staging Professionals shows that staging helps sell homes three to 30 times faster than the nonstaged competition. Further, staging can help increase the sale price by up to 20% on average.

So there's my high level plan for how to sell your home before the end of 2025. If you're looking to do the same, I'd love to support you on your real estate journey. Contact me to setup a consultation to walk through all the details to ensure not only are your goals met, but that you enjoy the process along the way.