Vacation home sales dropped steeply during the recession, but they’ve been on the rise in recent years. In fact, the number of sales went up by 30 percent in 2013. Realtors can take advantage of this jump by focusing on selling vacation homes.
Keep the following advice in mind if you’re in an area with a high number of available vacation homes:
- Target clients based on the reason they’re buying one. Some clients are looking at purchasing a vacation home that will also become a retirement home in the near future. Others want a home that they can rent to vacationers when they’re not using it. Those who want to invest in a future retirement home will be pickier about which features their vacation home must have and where it’s located. Those who will be renting it out might want a home that’s easier to maintain. Share this video to help your clients decide what they want in a vacation home.
- Market in the right places. In addition to using your regular places for listing available properties, consider placing ads in vacation magazines. Vacationers and snowbirds both browse through these magazines frequently in order to find available properties.
- Offer a variety of property types. Don’t assume that a vacation home means a house. Some buyers prefer homes that require less upkeep, such as condos and timeshares.
- Advertise in buyers’ local markets. When selling vacation homes, you don’t just have to advertise in the market where the homes are located. Place ads in areas where snowbirds and vacationers tend to come from, such as northern cities.
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Photo: Smith & Vansant Architects PC via Houzz
