When the market is hot, residential real estate can still be a cold business. Perhaps even more so when rain enters the picture. There are all kinds of things you can do to make a home look its best as a seller agent, and all kinds of good features to point out to buyer clients. But you can’t control the weather, and unfortunately it can be a drag in multiple ways.
“Weather has a way of highlighting a home’s strengths and weaknesses,” says Donna Deaton, with REMAX Victory + Affiliates in Cincinnati, Ohio. “Heavy rain can reveal drainage issues and could mean basement issues. In many ways, buyers get to see how the home performs under real world conditions, which can actually be valuable. So I always encourage buyers to look when we have a rainy season if a basement is important to them. Same with an aging roof. The wet weather will let us know if there is an actual active leak.
Even poor neighborhoods look nice on a bright, sunshiny day. So homebuyers would be wise to actually make it a must to see listings when it’s pouring, or right after. Rain can reveal the true resilience of a home. Buyers can instantly see issues like a leaky roof, gutter and downspout performance, damp walls, basement flooding, water seepage/foundational problems and whether the property or local roads are prone to poor drainage.
As with other types of bad weather, it’s the super-motivated buyers who won’t quit.
“During a very intense rainstorm, flash flooding and subways closing, I had a client I was touring who did not want to cancel,” says Hannah Jackson, with Coldwell Banker Warburg, in New York City. “While the weather was far less than ideal, he was very serious about his search and finding a home that day. We ended up moving forward with the one we saw when the weather was at its worst–full torrential downpour. We were all completely soaked, but he had a home he was very excited about.”
There are advantages for buyer agents when the rains come. It generally lessens foot traffic at open houses, leading to slower sales paces and potentially fewer competing offers. While the quantity of buyers drops, the quality increases. Those who get out in wet weather to view homes are often highly motivated, serious purchasers rather than casual lookers. On the other hand, dark rainy days don’t help the mood of buyers. Overcast days limit natural light, making interior spaces appear smaller or darker if the home lacks adequate artificial lighting.
Shannon Murree, with REMAX Hallmark Chay Realty Brokerage in Barrie, Ontario, admits that “Casual buyers often reschedule, but serious buyers don’t. They may see fewer homes, but they are focused, purposeful, and usually very clear on why they are out there. So bad weather affects buyer behavior, but not always by stopping them. It often makes the serious buyers more focused.”
Lisa Harris, with REMAX Center in Braselton, Georgia, has had many buyers quickly reject submitting offers on homes after rainy showings.
“It’s often a great opportunity to see how water flows on the lot, if gutters work properly, how the yard handles water, water intrusion concerns and how the neighbor’s water flow might possibly impact your property,” she says. “This provides so much valuable insight that a typical home inspection might not catch on a bright sunny day so it is priceless knowledge.”
Seller strategies
So what if your client is the seller in the rainy season? How can their home be made to look as attractive as it would be on sunny days? There are several ways.
Brighten the inside. Rain lessens natural light, so open blinds fully and turn on all the lights.
Protect the entrance. Put non-slip doormats inside and outside the front door.
Clear walkways. Ensure that walkways, the driveway and front steps are clear of everything that could be slippery or show water pooling.
Control the temps. Regardless of what it’s like outside, make sure it’s a comfortable temperature inside. Warm and dry interiors promote a home’s insulation and livability.
Clean gutters. Even if it’s pouring let buyers can see that water drains smoothly away from the roof and foundation instead of overflowing.
Offset odors. Rainy weather can cause musty smells. Neutralize them with light fragrances so the home smells appealing.
