Is there a business reason for a quiet estate agency Christmas!

Only one property has appeared on Rightmove so far this week, and it's a new build-

Whitworth Road, Spennymoor, DL16 7LN

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/new-homes-for-sale/property-49484003.html

This fact has for me thinking whether there is a business reason for property not entering the market at this time of year. I understand that people will have a focus elsewhere and that photos of the property may look dated if they contain Christmas decorations but I'm interested to see where the demand is.

Traditionally people who get a new tablet, smartphone or laptop for Christmas will have a good browse over the Christmas period and this includes looking at their local area on Rightmove. The below article from the Rightmove blog in 2013 states that their 10 busiest days are in January-

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/articles/rightmove-news/homemovers-spring-into-action-as-rightmove-records-busiest-january-ever

This adds up, into view, to a business case FOR putting your home on the market, not a case AGAINST it. Your home will probably look cosy, festive and inviting for the Christmas period, so why not make the most of the effort you put in? It's up to the estate agent to revisit when the decorations are down and take fresh photographs.

I've known of estate agents that will put the property on the market in late December and market the property "quietly" with an agreement with the vendors that viewings won't start until a certain date after the festivities. This builds up the interest in the property and the agent can pre-book the viewings. The vendor (and some buyers) can feel a sudden rush of interest when viewings are allowed. It's a good tool for estate agents and one I'd like to see the estate agents of Spennymoor try - it will allow Spennymoor sellers to experience some of the January rush.