Years of experience have led me to believe that the best time of year to put your Palos Verdes home on the market is March through July. However, I decided I wanted to see some statistics from our Multiple Listing Service to support or dispute my theory. Unfortunately, the study is not entirely scientific, as I am not able to see historical data about open sales like I am able to see with closed sales. So, I took a look at properties in escrow as of today, May 17, 2013. There are currently sixty-five properties in escrow (pending sales). There were no pending sales in January; there were three in February; only two in March; twenty-seven in April; and thirty-three so far in May.
I recommend listing your home in the months of April, May, or June. Another very slow month for open sales is August, as many take vacations that month and listing in July may be too close for comfort.
Other factors to consider include the number of competing properties on the market in your neighborhood; whether your home is in marketing condition; and of course, the price you will be asking. Be sure to look not only at comparable homes that have sold over the last six to nine months, but also those that are currently pending. Many home sellers believe they need to ask a higher than market price so they will have room to negotiate. This strategy is not a good idea, as you may never get an offer to negotiate at all. I think a good thing to remember is that it is hard to under-price your home. If the asking price is less than buyers and their agents know it is worth, the property will most probably receive multiple offers, often for more than the asking price. The bottom line is that properties sell at their market value. Another thing to remember is, “timing is everything”.
