Black Friday shopping has become an American tradition nearly as big as Thanksgiving itself. We let the irony float over our head that on the fourth Thursday of November, we give thanks for all of our blessings, and the very next day, we go buy all the things we think we need.
Maybe it’s because we love the thrill of hunting for a great deal—or, just as likely, maybe we’re just trying to avoid political arguments with crazy Uncle Gene. Either way, we shop, and we shop big, to the tune of $5 billion.
Between the cold weather and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to think that people are too distracted trying to find toys and TVs to shop for real estate. Easy—and wrong.
It turns out that the shopping mood extends beyond doorbusters all the way to front doors. Searches for real estate spike the weekend after Thanksgiving (and just a few days after Christmas, too).
You might be thinking “My sales during the holidays are colder than that singing, dancing snowman!” You might be right—but just because people may not be buying as much during the holidays doesn’t mean they aren’t searching.
So, what do you do with this knowledge? Simple: Be the one they’re searching for. How can you be on the top of their mind while they’re searching?
- Target hyper-locally.
Using Cole Realty Resource, you can pull up real email addresses for specific streets and neighborhoods. Got a home for sale for $250,000? Target the neighborhoods where people typically upgrade from—either a community of starter homes, or one where the home value makes your listing accessible.
You can plug these emails into Facebook and serve them the listing in their feed as they’re waiting in line to buy Hatchimals at Wal-Mart.Â
- Make your current clients smile.
Last year, my REALTOR® bought Thanksgiving pies for all of her clients. Not just any pies—the giant ones from Costco. All we had to do was answer a simple question: pumpkin or apple? (We chose pumpkin.)
Guess which REALTOR® in our city got a lot of love on Facebook during Thanksgiving weekend?
- Be helpful.
If some people are buying, some people are selling. Share blog posts or articles that will help would-be buyers and would-be sellers through the process. Some good topics: financing, calculating home value/monthly payments, getting your house ready to sell, home improvements that increase sale price, etc.
Sellers might not thaw out until spring, but if you reach out to them during the holidays, you’ll be thankful.
For more information, please call Cole Realty Resource at 888-231-0732, or visit www.coleinformation.com/real-estate/. Â
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