Buyer’s and Seller’s Market! Things you should know.

What is a Seller’s Market?

In simple language, a seller’s market is where there are many interested buyers, but there are fewer homes available. Here, demand exceeds supply. As home sells faster, the buyers have to compete to get the property. Therefore, sellers are at advantage here. Some reasons for this market are:

Low interest rates: When home loan interest drops, many people can afford to buy a house, creating more buyer interest.
Low inventory: Sometimes there will be very low new constructions. Therefore, the prices for the existing home rises.
A short-term spike in interest rates: When there is a slight increase in interest rate, people rush to buy the house. It is because they think the rate can increase even higher in the future.
Economic Factor: When there is rise on the local labor market, new resident increases. Therefore, the price of the houses increases before new ones can be built.

Also, when there is shortage of houses, it leads to bidding wars. This means as buyers compete to get a house, they are ready to pay more than what sellers initially asked for.

What is a Buyers’ Market?

Unlike seller’s market, buyers’ market is where there plenty of homes for sale, but there are fewer buyers available. Here, supply exceeds demand. As real estate price decreases, buyers have some advantages here. Also, sellers must compete with each other in order to attract buyers. Some reasons for this market are:

High inventory: When the number of construction of houses increases, the prices of older homes can decrease.
High interest rate: No one wants to buy a house if they have to pay higher interest rates. Thus, the number of buyer decreases.
Natural disasters: When natural disasters like earthquake or flood occurs in any place, people are less likely to buy a property there.

Sellers tend to decrease the price of the property in the buyers’ market. This is because they don’t want to lose the potential buyers.

Tips for Buyers and Sellers in Sellers’ Market

Tips for Buyers

Time is the key as houses available are limit in sellers’ market. Thus, remember these points.

You need to act fast as soon as you get your dream house. Otherwise, the house may not be available by the time you make an offer. Thus, you need to be quick.
If you don’t get the house you are interested in, don’t lose hope. Be patient and wait. Sometimes you may give more than the house’s actually worth. So, don’t get stuck in bidding wars if you are not experienced.
As houses are limited, remember that you are at a disadvantage. Focus on what you want and know if the property is worth loosing. Also, if you can pay in cash, do it! Sellers prefer buyers who are willing to pay in cash.
Though you are at a disadvantage, don’t rush to buy the property. Just because it is cheaper, don’t buy it. Buying a home is a huge investment, and you don’t want to regret it later.

Tips for Sellers

As there is increasing number of buyers, sellers have to compete with each other. Therefore, here are the few tips to increase the interest in your property.

Make sure your property is clean and in good condition. You should keep the rooms organized and tidy.
Though the homes are limited for sale, you should price your property fairly. Some people tend to lower the price to start a bidding war as well.
You should be aware of extra expenses such as mortgage, appraisal and inspection contingencies as buyers may back out if conditions are not met.
In case you meet a potential buyer, ensure that they have been preapproved for the home loan. This helps you know that buyer’s finances and credit history are verified.

Tips for Buyers and Sellers in Buyers’ Market

Tips for Buyers

Buyers’ market is perfect for people to buy any property. Here are few tips as there is fewer buyers to compete with and prices are low,

You don’t have to rush to buy the property. Just sit back and relax. As there is less chance of losing the property of your interest, just take your time.
Before you finalize any property, make sure to have understanding about what is available in your market. This helps you to negotiate price with the seller.
Compare the prices of properties that are available in the market. This also helps you to negotiate price with the seller.
If a home is longer in the market, you can negotiate for much lower price. Even when you don’t want to lower the price, you can work out for extra expenses and repairs.

Tips for Sellers

Selling a property during a buyers’ market is complicated. Therefore, here are few tips and advices for you.

As buyers will come to visit the property, make sure to keep the place neat and tidy. You can depersonalize the space by removing the photos and other belongings.
As there are many properties that buyers can choose, to make your property stand out, make the necessary repairs. You can even repaint the rooms and make some improvements.
To market your property, you can take professional photographs of the house and place them in online real estate sites.
Pricing plays an important role to attract buyers. You should comparatively lower the price of your home than other property in lower neighborhood. This encourages buyers to choose your property.