Traditionally, the market wakes up in September, after a summer lull while folks are vacationing and enjoying the kids’ time off from school.

But once September and October roll around, agents get busy and stay busy until the winter slowdown.

So, if the past is any indication of what we can expect in the future, you’re about to get busy again (or even busier depending on where you are in the country).

Here’s how to plan for your fall buying and selling season, starting now.

Offer a pre-fall photo promotion

Plan a pre-fall photography blitz. Let your potential autumn selling clients know the best way to stand out from other listings in fall. Which is to show how their homes looked when the trees were still green and the flowers were blooming.

Use a Community Newsletter or a Football Schedule postcard to conduct a postcard blitz and offer a “free, no-obligation exterior photo session” before everything turns brown. State the following message,

“For the next few weeks, our professional photographer will be roaming the area. He will be taking exterior photos of our listings that will be hitting the market in fall.”

“Just think how your home, with its sun-lit green landscape, will stand out as a buyer scrolls through listings online this fall!”

By the way, you’ll know who is serious about selling by the responses you get from your postcard photography blitz.

Be focused, move quickly

“Time is of the essence” is never truer than it is during the fall real estate market. The time between putting a home on the market and that big old brick wall known as the holidays is short. Everything you do to sell the home will be condensed.

Remind your clients that this means coming up with the appropriate price right out of the gate. An informative and helpful Direct Response Report you can provide your clients with is, “The 6 Pitfalls of Overpricing”.  It will help them understand just what they have to lose by not pricing their home right the first time.

If they refuse, let them know that if the need for a price reduction becomes evident, they’ll need to act immediately – not wait a month.

Yards get messy in autumn, so remind your listing clients to keep up the home’s curb appeal on an ongoing basis.

Remind your clients that leaves will need to be raked more often and dying annuals yanked from the soil. Suggest they hire a gardener to do once weekly yard cleanups if they don’t have the time to do it themselves.

Finally, if the home is still on the market as Thanksgiving approaches, your listing client has some decisions to make. Primarily, does he or she want to remain on the market over the holidays or put the listing on hold until the beginning of the year?

Yes, we understand that you’re hoping to high heaven they don’t yank the listing. If you can convince them to remain on the market, let them know that closings near Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve are typically slow going. This way, they can make moving plans accordingly.

A report that makes an ideal piece to leave behind during a listing presentation is, “Moving Made Easy”. It’s available under the Resources tab on our website. Yes, this report is free for you so get a bunch of copies made and keep them on hand to give to your clients.

Help out your buyers

To avoid butting up against Thanksgiving, most homeowners who list their homes in the fall put their homes on the market in the early part of the season. Urge your buying clients to be prepared to be the early bird and get their loan pre-approval out of the way as soon as possible.

They should also narrow down their choice of neighborhoods so that when a home is listed in the area, they can be among the first to view it.

Warn your buying clients not to give in to the temptation that fall appliance sales offer. This year’s models typically go on sale in September and October to make room for next year’s. These bargains may seem irresistible additions to their soon-to-be new home.

Let them know that the lender may pull their credit once more before closing. A large purchase on credit may either slow down closing or cause loan denial.

You’re the expert that your clients rely on to help them navigate the real estate process. While buying or selling a home is primarily the same in fall as in the other three seasons, there are subtle differences they need to be aware of and you need to prepare for to make the season a success.

Send out Football Schedules to your Sphere and Farm now and they’ll arrive just in time for the first NFL game of the season (September 10th).

Even better, add a magnetic back for their frig, so the schedule (and your contact info) will stay in front of your audience all season long.

Need help targeting a specific niche of buyers or sellers? Use our Demographic Search Tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy). Or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

1. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted prospecting lists including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

2. The Free 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

3. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan.  – Click Here

4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

5. The Market Dominator

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Consistency and automation are the keys to success. Discover how effective direct mail marketing can dramatically increase your bottom line. Enter your statistics in our Free online ROI Calculator and click the ‘CALCULATE MY ROI’ button to see your results instantly! –Click Here

7. The Free Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted prospect list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here