While many agents see the winter months as their slow season — a time to catch up on delayed projects and plan ahead for the new year in their businesses — this time of year can create significant leverage for those who know how to land end-of-year opportunities.
Buyers and sellers who are active at this time of year are generally more motivated, which translates into off-market wins, more robust negotiations and faster decision-making.
Although listings may be sitting longer, there are still ways that both buyers and sellers can win. Here’s how to help them achieve their goals sooner rather than later.
How buyers can close the gap for sellers
Sellers who are staying active throughout the holiday season are looking for certainty in the form of clean offers, smooth timelines and the ability to move forward in a timely manner. This is where buyers can take control with smart deal terms that remove friction.
Even if your buyer isn’t paying with cash, they can use a bridge loan to present a like-cash, non-contingent offer that’s irresistible to end-of-year sellers. In addition to simplifying financing, a cash-like offer results in a firmer closing date and less risk for the seller.
How to position it
Instead of talking to your buyer client about “financing,” talk about “deal engineering.” Share the advantages with the following talking points:
- “We can remove the financing contingency.”
- “We can close in as little as two weeks.”
- “We can present clean terms that make our offer the easiest one to accept.”
For sellers who want to get a deal done as close to Jan. 1 as possible, your buyer becomes the best possible option, even in a multiple offer or price cut scenario.
How agents can win with sellers who feel stuck
If you’ve got an impatient seller on the line, you may be tempted to float one or more price cuts to find their buyer. However, price cuts aren’t always the smartest option in a slower market. That’s because the price floor is artificially lower, leaving your seller at a disadvantage compared to where they’d land just a month or two later in the year.
Replace price reductions with strategic incentives, using a bridge loan to fund a significant seller credit that brings in non-contingent buyers. For example, instead of dropping a home price from $1.5 million to $1.45 million, your seller can fund a $30,000 to $50,000 seller credit to cover closing costs and a portion of the down payment for an interested buyer.
The advantages of this approach?
- The listing holds its value on the public-facing MLS.
- The seller keeps more net proceeds than they would with a reduction.
- Buyers get certainty and speed.
- You help the listing stand out in a crowded, quiet winter market.
For sellers who are buying and selling in the same cycle, bridge loans can help them extend their sales timeline, providing temporary financing that helps them move into a new home first, then list their departing home in spring at the height of the local market.
How to position it
Reframe client concerns as an opportunity to craft a deal that works to their advantage. By providing options, you differentiate your service and create lifelong professional relationships.
3 talking points agents can use immediately
For buyers:
“Because we can close quickly and remove the contingency, you’re effectively writing like a cash buyer. That lets us negotiate more aggressively without losing the home.”
For sellers:
“Instead of cutting the price, let’s offer a credit that attracts buyers who can close fast and non-contingent. You’ll keep more of your price, and we’ll stand out without signaling weakness.”
For buy/sell clients:
“We can get you into the new home now, then list your current one in the spring when buyers return and pricing improves.”
Develop a seasonal strategy that works
Experienced agents know that some of the best buys of the year happen when everyone else is hibernating. Make December and January part of your annual strategy, not a downtime to survive.
A solid end-of-year plan can put you in a position for a stronger Q1 and Q2, and the raving fans you develop during market downtime can become some of your strongest referral partners in the new year.
