The Federal Housing Finance Agency found<\/a> that nationwide home prices increased by 6% from Q1 2016 to Q1 2017, with the strongest gains reported in the Pacific and Mountain West regions. Such growth has some economists concerned that the market is currently in a second bubble, as hot markets like San Francisco have already seen a dip in home prices.<\/a><\/p>\n Local, local, local!<\/p>\n Your real estate market went through its own unique changes following the crash. Small nuances like local politics, changes in your local job market, and fluctuations in home inventories impact the outlook for home sellers.<\/p>\n Speak to a top local real estate agent to figure out how your housing market is currently trending \u2013 while most markets favor sellers, yours might not.<\/p>\n Even if you\u2019ve been completely removed from the world of real estate, you\u2019ve probably heard that it\u2019s a seller\u2019s market for homes \u2013 possibly one of the strongest ever.<\/a><\/p>\n The National Association of Realtors reported just this month that demand continues to outpace the supply of homes on the market<\/a>, even as home sales dropped in recent months<\/a>. And yet this drop of sales has been attributed to a lack of supply and rising home prices \u2013 both indicators of a very strong seller\u2019s market.<\/p>\n Now is a great time to sell a home in most markets. With inventories low, buyers are motivated and eager to snatch up homes quickly. As a seller, you should plan for this type of quick turnaround and expect multiple offers on your home shortly after listing. Keep in mind that this cuts both ways \u2013 as easy as it is to sell your home, it may be equally difficult to find and buy your next one.<\/p>\n Despite a decade of market upheaval, technology is likely the biggest agent of change in the world of real estate in recent years. Services like Zillow and Trulia, social media, and mobile technology have all flipped traditional real estate on its head in favor of quicker, more agile ways to buy homes.<\/p>\n \u201cBuyers are savvy,\u201d says Pam Charron<\/a>, who\u2019s in the top 4% of sellers\u2019 agents in Sarasota, Florida, \u201cthere\u2019s a wealth of information online.\u201d<\/p>\n Buyers expect to be able to find most listed homes on sites like Zillow and more than ever before, they do their research. These savvy buyers also expect to be sold on a home before they buy \u2013 gone are the days of buying a home after one walkthrough.<\/p>\n Drone video, 3D walkthroughs, HD pictures, and video have all come into prominence in recent years as the technologies become cheaper and easier to use<\/a>. Alongside these have come a slew of real estate smartphone apps where people can easily view homes for sale around them and explore them on their phones. And don\u2019t forget the prevalence of social media, which has become a necessity in the world of real estate advertising.<\/p>\n Beyond changes in technology, one thing worth keeping in mind when marketing your home is the styling. If you\u2019re coming back into the real estate market for the first time in a few years, there\u2019s a chance that tastes in homes have changed since you bought your house.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople can say \u2018my home is bigger, it\u2019s in great condition,\u2019 but if you have dark cabinets and a dark granite countertop, forget it,\u201d Charron says. She explains that in her market, Mediterranean styling has fallen out of style while coastal styles with light paint and open spaces has taken favor.<\/p>\n If you want to keep up in this brave new world of real estate marketing, you\u2019re going to need some help. To start, just browse around online to get a feel for your local market. \u201cIf you want to see what today\u2019s trends are, Zillow and Houzz are a great source of information,\u201d Charron suggests.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve taken a cursory look at the market, it\u2019s time to go deeper. Find a top real estate agent in your area<\/a> and pick their brain about your market:<\/p>\n Next, make sure they offer the types of marketing assets needed to keep up with other sellers; if they\u2019re taking listing photos with their phone, run away.<\/p>\n As politics have leaked into seemingly every aspect of U.S. life since the 2016 presidential election, real estate has largely been untouched by the new administration in Washington.<\/p>\n Beyond President Trump\u2019s decision on his first day in office to eliminate an FHA loan fee reduction<\/a>, the administration has enacted few policies that directly impact real estate markets.<\/p>\n However, this isn\u2019t to say new policy hasn\u2019t impacted real estate \u2013 it definitely has.<\/p>\n With Republicans holding both chambers of Congress along with the White House, the stock market has experienced huge gains<\/a> on the prospect of lower taxes and less regulation. Traditionally, a strong stock market indicates a strong economy and thus a strong real estate market.<\/p>\n But (!) the huge gains seen on Wall Street are based largely on speculation \u2013 the speculation that the Trump administration can push through its policy agenda to reduce taxes and financial regulations. Further, many investors (including billionaire Julian Robertson<\/a>) warn that the stock market is facing an emerging bubble.<\/p>\n Right now, the political landscape is bolstering the stock market and, in turn, real estate markets. This means that home sellers are not only going to sell homes quickly, but for higher prices. However, politics changes rapidly (even more so lately) and with a potential swing election coming up just next year, the stock market could easily lose the gains it\u2019s made this year.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a crazy decade in the world of real estate and things aren\u2019t looking to calm down anytime soon. Still, now is an excellent time to sell a home in most parts of the country \u2013 if you\u2019ve done your homework.<\/p>\nWhat this means if you need to sell your house today:<\/h3>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/sell-your-house-today-local.jpg\")
<\/a>It\u2019s a Seller\u2019s World Out There<\/h2>\n
What this means if you need to sell your house today:<\/h3>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/sell-your-house-today-technology.jpg\")
<\/a>Real Estate Marketing \u2013\u00a0A Whole New World<\/h2>\n
What this means if you\u2019re selling your house today:<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/sell-your-house-today-politics-1.jpg\")
<\/a>How Have Politics Affected the Market?<\/h2>\n
What this means if you\u2019re selling your home today:<\/h3>\n
If You\u2019re Selling Your House It\u2019s Time You Caught Up<\/h2>\n