Shifting tides call for new strategies

The real estate market across Colorado follows the trends of the four seasons we experience, each in full, every year. It goes from hot to cold to everything in between. And typically, the winter is cold for the real estate market just like the temperatures, until the Super Bowl hits.

Just like anything, trends tend to change. So, is the selling season changing in the real estate market? Especially for new homes? It depends on what piece of the pie you’re looking at.

Seasonality of the real estate market

On average, home prices decrease when the weather turns toward winter, making September one of the last months to push new homes at full price. In November, that’s when we start promoting incentives and special prices for our clients. And then, things tend to go stale in December and January. But is that really the case?

Once February hits and the Super Bowl is over, it’s the tried and true kickstart of the selling season. April is when more lots are available and inventory increases. And we ride that wave mid-Summer and pick it back up in August. Because the real estate selling season follows the pattern of the weather, and the school year.

Yet, variables are changing due to lifestyle factors, online research, and the ups and downs of interest rates and prices.

Changing trends for real estate marketing

Although the selling season may take years to change completely, the perspective is shifting toward a 12-month, all-year-long strategy. Because buyers are always on. Always finding inspiration. And always doing research.

Similar to the selling season and its dips and curves, home buyer behavior follows similar trends. Personal milestones, work, the economy, and home availability continue to drive the changes in the real estate market.

In 2023 and 2024, we’ve seen and anticipate to see more attention to digital research during the typical “slow months.” Buyers turning to social media and search engines to find answers to their questions that lead them closer to selecting where and from whom to buy a new home.

Providing the tools for home buyers to find you

At the end of the year, after November’s special pricing and incentives, home buyers turn their attention to daydreaming and research.

We meet the home buyer in their search results pages by harnessing research-heavy and intent-heavy keywords. Landing pages, blog posts, social media content and web page updates that pull on these focus keywords.

In preparation for holidays – when the selling season dips and buyers have time on their hands to realize they need a new home, and start the research to make it happen – we produced content for varying topics dependent upon the audience of the community.

Here are a few examples:

• Why Buy New a New Home? Because Resale Just Doesn’t Compare for Sky Ranch just east of Aurora in Watkins, CO. The audience is a first-time buyer that’s new to the area.
• Hosting the Family this Holiday Season? New Homes in Sonders Fort Collins are Perfect for Entertaining blog post for Sonders Fort Collins. This audience takes its time because they have the time and the equity in their current home. So defining how next year’s holiday season could be different coupled keyword research and storytelling.
• With a heavy search volume around “bloom community development” and “mulberry ave” for Bloom Fort Collins, the Celebrating Community Development Along Mulberry Avenue in Fort Collins article pulls on these and similar keyphrases while providing an update on what’s growing along this corridor to downtown Fort Collins.
• New Home Designs Meant to Make Your Heart Sing connects the why with the emotion of the brand at Prairie Song in Windsor, CO.
• Hitting the research-heavy swing of January with The Perfect Location for New Homes in Colorado for Brighton Crossings.

We see every month and every changing season as an opportunity to capture the market where they are. Whether that’s gearing up and grabbing the keys to tour homes in the sunshine, or sitting comfortably (or uncomfortably) at home doing research for where they want to live next.

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