I actually adore the holidays — seriously, twinkly lights and endless merriment? Count me in. Still, let’s be real: we’ve dialed up the festive meter so high that even my email spam folder is humming “Jingle Bells.” It’s as if the entire country collectively decided that understated is overrated and now, from November onwards, we’re all living in a perpetual snow globe. But hey, I wouldn’t trade the chaos and glitter for anything. Bring on the ugly sweaters and centuries old, gifted down fruitcake. I’ll pass it along.

And yet, as the world transforms into a gingerbread-scented fever dream, the real estate market keeps chugging along like a determined holiday shopper elbowing through a Black Friday crowd. Seriously, while most people are debating whether peppermint mocha counts as breakfast, as Realtors, we are bringing back the subtle in staging. Cozy winter retreat is the vibe that sells much more than a Griswald family Christmas. By all means, keep your inflatable Disney Christmas decorations tucked away — because nothing screams “serious homebuyer” quite like a towering Mickey Mouse in a Santa hat gracing your lawn. And a couple of cinnamon sticks simmering on a stove is a tad more tasteful than gingerbread scented plug-ins in every outlet. You get the gist.

Contrary to popular opinion, not everyone puts their house hunt on ice until the New Year. Serious buyers are still braving open houses in the middle of a sleet storm, clutching take-home cookies in one hand and mortgage calculators in the other. Both the buyers and sellers that are in the market now are both motivated. Whether it is a job transfer, marital differences or year-end tax hits that drive a sale, nothing screams “new beginnings” like ringing in January with a brand-new address.

For sellers, the holidays bring less competition in the market. It does for buyers as well. This is a win/win for both. Buyers have more leverage since there are fewer buyers out there during this time competing for the best listings, and sellers will likely get only the serious buyers inquiring about their homes.

Let’s say you’re not currently being shuffled around by a corporate transfer, untangling relationship woes, or dodging a tax deadline like a gingerbread man on the lam. Maybe you’re playing the “wait for the perfect rate” game, eyeing those predicted lower mortgage rates as your personal golden ticket for 2025. Here’s a holiday spoiler: If rates do dip, (and it is a big if) you and every other hopeful homebuyer will rush the market faster than shoppers at a midnight doorbuster, which means home prices will start to escalate.

The bottom line? The best time to buy a house is when the math adds up, the rate fits your budget, and the move makes sense for your actual life — not because you read a clickbaity headline. Still feeling stuck? Grab your trusted real estate agent, or loan officer, and let them help you untangle whether homebuying now is your ticket to festive cheer — or a gift you’d rather return.

So, yes, the holidays are a wild ride: one part tinsel, one part chaos, and apparently, one part earnest real estate hustle. But really, what’s more festive than celebrating the season by negotiating closing costs under a wreath the size of a small sedan? Cheers to holiday spirit and never letting a little thing like eggnog-induced brain fog slow down the market!

Jen Fischer is an associate broker and Realtor. She can be reached at 801-645-2134 or jen@jen-fischer.com.