Texas Realtor Honest Advice: Don’t Sell Your House During the Holidays!
October 20, 2026
If you don’t absolutely have to sell your house during the holidays, my recommendation is simple: DON’T.
We’re approaching the end of October, and unless your house is already prepared, properly priced, and positioned to sell by October 31st, I would seriously consider waiting until the beginning of next year.
Now, I know that sounds unusual coming from someone who makes a living selling houses. But hear me out.
The Typical Holiday Real Estate Pitch Goes Like This:
Every year around this time, you’ll hear real estate agents say something like: “The holidays are actually a GREAT time to sell! Because the buyers who are looking during the holidays are SERIOUS buyers!”
Well, I don’t particularly buy that argument. Of course, there are serious buyers during the holidays. People relocate for jobs. Families grow. Marriages end. Financial circumstances change. People experience all sorts of life events that require them to purchase a home. But guess what? Those things happen throughout the entire year!
And let’s not forget about the buyers who started casually shopping in March, toured houses throughout the summer, looked at more houses in September, and are STILL looking in November. The calendar doesn’t magically transform an indecisive buyer into a serious one.
But more importantly, I think the whole argument about serious holiday buyers misses the bigger issue. It’s not just about how serious your buyers are. It’s about how many buyers are actually out there.
During November and December, people travel. Families get together. Children are out of school. People have holiday parties, shopping lists, vacation plans, and dozens of other things competing for their attention. And when fewer people are actively shopping for homes, you have fewer opportunities to attract multiple interested buyers. That matters because competition between buyers can make an enormous difference in your final selling price and negotiating position.
And that’s only the beginning of the problem.
Three Reasons I Would Seriously Consider Waiting Until Next Year
Reason #1: You’re Competing Against Tired and Increasingly Motivated Sellers
Think about the homeowners whose properties have already been sitting on the market for four, five, or even six months. Some of these sellers have been waiting all summer for an acceptable offer. They’ve been making mortgage payments, paying taxes and insurance, maintaining vacant properties, and watching their carrying costs accumulate.
Now the holidays are approaching, and they don’t particularly want to carry those houses into another year. So what do some of them do? They start cutting prices.
Go to Zillow and scroll through listings in an area where homes have been sitting on the market. Price cut. Price cut. Another price cut. And another one. What message does that send to prospective buyers? “Sellers are getting motivated! There may be some great deals out there! Let’s see how much we can negotiate!”
Now imagine you’re introducing your beautiful house to the market for the very first time. You’ve cleaned it, painted it, staged it, photographed it, and priced it according to its market value. You expect buyers to appreciate everything your house has to offer.
But here’s the problem. Buyers’ expectations aren’t shaped by your house alone. They’re shaped by what they see happening throughout the market. And if they’re seeing price reductions everywhere, they’re more likely to approach your listing with the expectation that you, too, might be willing to negotiate. Suddenly, your freshly listed home is competing for attention against properties whose owners may be considerably more motivated to sell.
Is that really the market environment you want to choose for your debut if you have another option?
Reason #2: Buyers Have Other Plans for Their Money
Let’s talk about holiday spending. People are buying Christmas gifts, booking flights, visiting relatives, taking vacations, hosting family gatherings, and preparing for the expenses that come with the end of the year. And buying a house? Well, that usually involves writing some pretty substantial checks.
Earnest money. Inspections. Appraisals. Down payments. Closing costs. Moving expenses. Even buyers who are financially qualified may not be particularly enthusiastic about committing thousands of dollars to a home purchase right in the middle of the holiday season.
Of course, some buyers absolutely will. But others may decide that they’d rather enjoy Thanksgiving, celebrate Christmas, welcome the new year, and return to house hunting when life settles down. And when those buyers temporarily step away from the market, your potential audience becomes smaller.
Remember, you don’t just need one buyer who likes your house. Ideally, you want enough interested buyers to create competition for it.
And that becomes more difficult when a significant portion of your potential audience is busy doing something else.
Reason #3: Some Buyers Are Waiting for Their Tax Refunds
This is a factor that I think deserves more attention, especially in markets with a substantial number of first-time homebuyers. Not everyone who wants to purchase a home has all the funds they need sitting in a savings account. Some buyers are counting on their tax refunds to help cover down payments, closing costs, moving expenses, or other costs associated with buying a home.
And when do those refunds arrive? Generally, tax filing season begins in late January, with many eligible taxpayers receiving their refunds in February or March. That means some perfectly legitimate, financially responsible buyers may be interested in purchasing a home but simply aren’t ready to complete the transaction in November or December. They’re waiting for additional funds. And until those funds become available, they’re not necessarily in a position to make a purchase.
Now, obviously, not every buyer depends on a tax refund. Many have plenty of cash available throughout the year. But the point is that another segment of your potential buyer pool may become better prepared to purchase after the holidays.
And when you’re selling a house, the size of that buyer pool matters.
So, Let’s Look at the Bigger Picture
As we approach November and December, we may have a combination of three circumstances:
- Sellers who are increasingly motivated after spending months on the market, some of whom are reducing their prices.
- Buyers who are distracted by holidays, travel, family obligations, and seasonal expenses.
- Potential buyers who are waiting for tax refunds or other funds before they’re ready to purchase.
Does that sound like the ideal environment in which to introduce your house to the market? Maybe, if your local market has unusually strong demand and limited competition. But in many situations, I would argue that it doesn’t.
And here’s another thing to consider. When you introduce a brand-new listing, you have an opportunity to make a powerful first impression. Your house is new to the market. Buyers haven’t seen it before. Agents have a new property to share with their clients. That’s a valuable opportunity.
Why would you want to use that opportunity during a period when a smaller number of people may be paying attention?
You can always reduce the price later. You can improve your photographs. You can change your marketing strategy. But you cannot make your house a brand-new listing for the second time.
What Would I Recommend Instead?
If you’re not under pressure to sell immediately, I would rather see you spend November and December preparing your property for a stronger launch after the holidays. Take the time to address deferred maintenance. Make those small improvements you’ve been putting off. Get your landscaping in order. Improve the lighting. Declutter. Deep-clean. Consider whether minor cosmetic improvements could make the property more appealing. And most importantly, work with your Realtor to carefully evaluate the competition, study the local market, and determine the pricing and marketing strategy that gives your property its best chance of success.
Then, when the time is right, introduce your home to the market as a well-prepared, competitively priced property.
Does that mean January 1st is some magical date when buyers suddenly come rushing back? Of course not. The ideal launch date depends on your particular neighborhood, price range, competition, and local market conditions. But waiting gives you an opportunity to choose your timing rather than simply rushing onto the market because your house happens to be ready.
Can You Sell a House During the Holidays? Absolutely!
I want to be very clear about something. There are plenty of legitimate reasons why someone might need to sell in November or December. Maybe you’re relocating for work. Maybe you’ve already purchased another home. Maybe you’re dealing with a divorce, an estate, financial obligations, or some other circumstance that makes waiting impractical.
And if that’s your situation, then absolutely, let’s sell your house. We’ll evaluate the competition, adjust our strategy to current conditions, and do everything possible to give your property a competitive advantage. Because homes DO sell during the holidays. Some even sell quickly and for excellent prices.
But the fact that something can happen doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the most advantageous choice for everyone. And there’s an important difference between selling because you need to and selling because you simply haven’t considered whether waiting might be better.
Here’s What I Want Every Homeowner to Understand
Your Realtor can help you improve your property’s presentation. Your Realtor can develop a marketing strategy, arrange professional photography, improve your exposure, analyze the competition, and recommend a pricing strategy designed to attract buyers. Your Realtor can help you negotiate effectively and position your property to compete against other homes on the market.
But there is absolutely nothing your Realtor can do to magically turn a slow selling season into a busy one.
We can compete for the buyers who are in the market. We cannot force buyers who are traveling, celebrating the holidays, waiting for funds, or simply taking a break from house hunting to purchase your property right now.
And that’s why, if you have the flexibility to wait, I would seriously consider it. Not because selling during the holidays is impossible. Not because every seller who lists in November or December will have a disappointing experience. But because the timing of your launch is one of the few important decisions you can still control before your house goes on the market.
And I’d much rather have an honest conversation with you about that BEFORE you list your house than spend the next two months trying to explain why you’re not getting the results you expected.
