Selling in Winter? Why Late-Year Listings Can Still Pay Off

Conventional wisdom says the housing market peaks in spring and runs hottest through summer, when warm weather and school breaks draw more buyers in. Homes typically sell faster, spark more bidding wars, and command stronger prices—factors that prompt many homeowners assume that if they didn’t list by July, they’ve missed their moment.

“The traditional advice would be to avoid listing a house in November or December because oftentimes buyers tend to be distracted during this time of the year with the holidays,” explains Tali Raphaely, a real estate investor and president of Armour Title Company. “Additionally, listing a house in the winter in cold weather regions could also be tricky because bad weather could affect showings, open houses, etc.”

And last winter, the housing market really did stall. Homes spent an average of nine days longer on the market than they did in December 2023, and inventory slipped 8.6% month over month, according to Realtor.com® data.

But this year’s market is different. Mortgage rates are at 12-month lows, inventory is higher than last year (but growth is slowing), and prices remain steady nationwide. That combination is creating an opening for sellers willing to list when most others are waiting for spring.

“The collapse of the competitive landscape due to a lack of listings creates an opportunity,” says Sain Rhodes, real estate expert at Clever Offers. Here’s how sellers can take advantage of it.

‘Serious buyers only’

End-of-year buyers aren’t browsing for fun: They’re shopping with a deadline. Or, as Rhodes puts it, “a true market advantage: serious buyers only.” 

As a seller, you don’t need to deal with lookie-loos or noncommittal house hunters who end up stringing you along. Winter buyers are often up against hard deadlines themselves: Corporate relocations that need to be completed before payroll and tax calendars reset; school enrollment deadlines before the new term begins; divorcing spouses that need to transfer or purchase property before end-of-year settlement agreements.

Because these buyers are driven by urgency rather than curiosity, they tend to make decisions more quickly, write cleaner offers with fewer complications, and close on time. And with fewer listings on the market competing for their attention, sellers are likelier to secure solid offers from people who are ready, willing, and able to move forward right away.

Plus, there’s less downside to listing in the winter than most seller’s realize. 

“It's important to note that many houses remain on the market for several months,” says Raphaely. “It's usually not ideal to have your house on the market for too long because then it starts looking to buyers like something may be wrong with the house. But that stigma generally doesn't begin until after four months or so; therefore, listing in November or December still allows the seller to attract buyers who enter the market in January or February.”

In short, listing in the cold months can help you be well positioned for when the market starts to heat up again.

Mortgage rates and year-end financial strategy

Another benefit sellers may find in listing in the winter is the advantage that lenders extend to buyers as the year wraps up.

Buyers often find more flexibility from lenders who are trying to meet year-end volume targets with slightly better pricing, faster decisioning, or more willingness to structure a deal around a buydown or concessions. That can drive buyer activity that only sellers who list before the holidays can benefit from.

Plus, with mortgage rates already hovering near 12-month lows, another potential Fed cut before 2026, and affordability beginning to thaw in many markets, the end of the year is now motivating a very different type of buyer. Many who spent the first half of the year on the sidelines are reentering the market, not because they want to wait for spring, but because this may be their best chance to secure a rate they can live with.

Year-end tax strategy also plays a role. Buyers who close before Dec. 31 may be able to capture deductions—such as mortgage interest, points, or prepaid property taxes—within the current tax year, rather than waiting another 12 months. For some households, especially in higher-tax states, those benefits can translate into savings, motivating them to keep negotiations moving.

Properties that perform well late in the year

Some properties are especially well positioned to benefit from a late-year listing, and homes that appeal to investors often top that list.

Investor activity has shifted meaningfully in the past few years. In 2024, roughly 13% of homes purchased were bought by investors, according to the 2024 Investor Report from Realtor.com®. Today, small investors now make up the majority of investor purchases, and they’re relying more on financing rather than cash, which means they are often more sensitive to tax timing, interest-rate changes, and year-end financial planning. 

That makes sellers with homes that appeal to investors—like single-family homes and townhouses—particularly well positioned in the final weeks of the year when investors may be highly motivated to close.

Late-year listing can also work to a seller’s advantage in high-demand school districts, where families relocating for new jobs or trying to secure an enrollment spot for the next semester continue to search even as holiday travel and winter weather slow the market as a whole. 

Climate can even add an advantage, says Raphaely.

“In warm weather regions, sellers could also possibly benefit as a result of buyers leaving colder climates in the winter, thus setting up perfect timing to attract those potential buyers,” he says.

Across these property types, the advantage comes from the same underlying forces: scarcity, urgency, and timing. Whether it is an investor hoping to maximize year-end tax positioning or a relocating household on a firm deadline, late-year buyers need to be decisive—and that can be a huge advantage to sellers.

Pricing strategy for late-in-the-year sellers

Not every seller has a home in a top-rated school district or a property that investors will compete for, but pricing is one lever every seller can control. And, at the end of the year, it matters more than ever.

With fewer listings and more motivated buyers, lean on your pricing strategy to do the heavy lifting, says Rhodes.

“Pricing requires aggressive realism later in the season because the interested buyer thoroughly researches the purchase dollar amounts and will not pay more than the home’s true worth,” she explains. 

Rhodes advises sellers to price decisively from Day 1, rather than testing higher ceilings and risking a stale listing.

“Houses priced aggressively in the last month of the season will sell with multiple offers more quickly than houses priced more realistically during the same period,” she explains.

Once again, it's a function of urgency and timing. A home listed in November or December can capture serious year-end buyers and, if it doesn't sell by the end of the year, meet a new wave of shoppers returning after the holidays—without the baggage of months of market history and price cuts that weaken negotiating power.

And while strategy matters, Raphaely reminds sellers not to let timing anxiety dictate their decisions: “Ultimately, it’s good for sellers to list their house when they’re ready and not try to time the market or the seasons.”