I’m not being flip about this, really, but the best time to Sell is when actual Buyers are out there buyin’. Period.
If you have the luxury of being able to schedule the timeframe well in advance, the best time to sell is when the greatest numbers of Buyers are buying.
When might that be? Let’s consider historical stats and see if trends emerge.
Springtime in Toronto is certainly the hottest with the period between March and June being nothing short of insane. Not far behind, however is Toronto’s Fall time activity. Fall time sales closely approach Springtime highs.
What does this mean? If you want to sell when the biggest pool of buyers is buying, then Spring or Fall is your time.
A noteworthy change has occurred recently to Summertime sales. Summer sales have previously always been slower but that has not been happening lately. Last year’s June and July sales were even stronger than the preceding Fall time sales. Toronto’s Summer is hot in more ways than one.
One constant remains: The slowest period continues to be December and January. Please note though that even those months have in excess of 4,000 sales, representing about a third that of the highest months. These slowest months are still generating incredibly strong activity.
When is the best time to sell? In Toronto it doesn’t seem to matter all that much.
One timing suggestion I would make however, pertains to homes that present some type of defined challenge to their sale, ie. busy street, locational issue, structural concerns, etc. These types of properties tend to do best when sold during a very busy period. A strong market floats all ships.
Generally speaking I can comment that the best time to sell is when you actually need to sell.
Don’t worry so much about the specific calendar timing. Rather, make certain to have your next step in place before you sell. Then about three months prior to your ideal moving date, stick up the for sale sign. Decide what you want to accomplish in any upcoming move and how best to attain that goal. How difficult will it be to secure the place where you want to go? Whether you should buy first or sell first is another blog.
My best advice is to think this all out beforehand, eight ways to Sunday so you can execute your upcoming move with strategically planned precision.
I have seen literally thousands of sales throughout my 38 years experience in this city and I can state that well-planned and considered moves tend to have the least amount of stress on everyone and generate the most favourable results.
Even more important than when you sell is how you sell and with whom.
Make your agent prove his or her worth to you.
It is about so very much more than slapping a MLS For Sale sign on the front lawn. The selling process must be proficiently handled with delicately, finesse and determination. Find out if your agent is up to snuff and if you have any doubts then seek a second opinion.
Bad agents can leave bags full of money on the table, not giving their Sellers the chance to have all that they rightfully deserve.
Have confidence and trust in the agent you choose.
