Summer can be a good time to sell in San Francisco, but your success will largely depend on what type of property you’re listing.
There are two types of buyers who tend to disappear in the summer—families seeking single-family homes and luxury buyers who typically seek high-end condos and houses. So July and August are typically not going to be your best bet this year if your property falls into those categories.
However, buyers for smaller houses or one- and two-bedroom condos tend to be around in the summer months. So listing these types of properties now may be a better bet than waiting for the inevitable post-Labor Day inventory onslaught. You won’t be competing with as many other properties and the buyers out there will probably be ready to write offers.
But before you move ahead with listing in July or August, have your real estate agent do a market check to make sure you’ll be able to compete against existing inventory within your specific property category. For example, there are almost 60 two-bedroom condos listed for up to $2M in large buildings in South Beach, Yerba Buena, Downtown and the Financial District. Does it make sense for you to list your own two-bedroom South Beach condo right now? Before you throw another log onto the fire, make sure your pricing expectations are realistic and that there’s something about your property that will stand out from the glut of similar condos.