The Best Time for You to List Your Outer Banks Home

The best times to sell in the second-home market here on the Outer Banks is from the late winter through the early spring and in the fall.
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When’s the best time to list in our Outer Banks market?

Before I answer that question, if you’re one of the many who’ve been wondering why I have a painting of a cow hanging up in my office, today I have your answer. 

Now, onto our topic. The reality of our market compared to other locations is we’re a second-home market, and the two best time periods to list and sell have been, customarily, from September to November and then until late winter. 

The main reason for this is the potential buyers who are coming here to investigate a purchase are more available to view homes any day of the week and they have readily accessible homes to preview. If you wait until late spring or early summer to list, you might get a good deal of exposure, but the likelihood of getting a potential buyer to see your home in-person while they’re here gets drastically smaller. 

After Easter, once vacation rentals start to pick up, you’ll be limited to maybe one day a week to get buyers into your home, or during the changeover day, which is historically either Saturday or Sunday. That means we have to try to keep buyers here on Saturday or Sunday, and that window to show properties is roughly from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We’re not the only agents showing properties during these times, either. 
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If you’re thinking about selling, I recommend listing as soon as possible.
”So, if you’re thinking about selling your home in our area, I recommend listing it as soon as possible. Also, list it with a great agent who can tell you the truth about what’s happening in our market. As I told you about in my last video, on the southern beaches of Hatteras Island, we dominate a good portion of the marketplace, and there’s a good chance we can get you what you need out of your house and net you the most in your pocket in the shortest amount of time in the Nags Head or Kill Devils Hill areas as well. 

If you have a rental home and it’s already booking, you may want to consider waiting until mid-to-late August to list it. Then by September, when vacation rentals start to slow down, you can have more people come through your house and generate more offers. 

If you have any other questions about our market or about when you should list, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.