5 Ways to Nab Autumn Buyers Before They Hibernate

Even in a good real estate market -- which this is not -- autumn is when buyers start to nod off before the deep sleep of winter. How does a seller combat the market doldrums this time of year?

Here are five tips for getting your house sold before real estate hibernation season sets in.

1. Determine if you really need to sell.

If you do, keep reading. If you don't, consider taking your house off the market until the spring. Traditionally -- and we admit there is nothing traditional about the current housing market -- buyers lose interest in the fall. Kids are settled in school, the holidays are approaching, and buyers' sense of urgency just evaporates.

In today's market, it's all that and more. As a seller, you are competing with foreclosures and short sales as well as standard sellers. Unless you really need to sell, consider delaying the listing of your house for a few months to avoid it sitting on the market and growing stale. If it makes you feel better, let a few agents know that you are still open to an offer and make it a pocket listing.