How to Continue Finding Motivated Sellers Around the Holidays

Disclaimer: PropStream does not offer investment or legal advice. This article is for informational purposes only. Consult a financial and/or legal professional before recommending real estate deals to investors.

The winter real estate market is notorious for being the slowest of the year. But while motivated sellers may be harder to find during this time, they’re still there, and they still need your support.

In this article, we’ll explore seven ways to keep your sales pipeline full during the slower holiday season. From communicating with compassion to tailoring your marketing to the season and using property data to identify motivated leads, you’ll find actionable advice you can start using right away.

1. Understand Seller Motivations During the Holidays

Homeowners can encounter personal and financial challenges at any time of the year. Understanding the most common seller motivations during the holidays can help you tailor your messaging and make your outreach more effective. 

Dealing with any of the situations above during the holidays can be especially stressful, making your expertise even more valuable.

2. Focus on Empathy in Your Communication

Research shows that 25% of consumers say emotional awareness is a salesperson’s top skill. And the higher the price point, such as in real estate, the more essential that skill becomes.

This is especially true during the holidays, when emotions tend to run higher. Needing to sell a property quickly during this season can intensify these emotions, stirring up embarrassment, overwhelm, or stress.

With this in mind, keep your outreach respectful, patient, and compassionate. This approach strengthens trust and is as important to winning clients as your expertise is.

In the same vein, avoid “hard selling” and instead aim to add clarity to the seller’s potentially confusing situation. Offering much-needed resources and guidance can bring a sense of stability during an emotionally challenging time.

3. Use Property Insights to Uncover Sellers Who Need Help Now

With the advanced technology and robust data available today, finding motivated sellers doesn’t have to be a guessing game.

Instead of marketing to every property owner you can find and hoping something sticks, try using property insights to identify homeowners who might need your help.

Use real estate data to:

• Review equity levels, allowing you to see who can sell quickly
• Find absentee owners by checking for recent mailing address changes
• Spot financial distress in the form of pre-foreclosure, tax delinquency, or lien activity
• Identify vacant properties, sometimes tagged as “non-owner-occupied.”

The right tool can take the heavy lifting out of finding these properties. For example, PropStream has over 165 filters that allow agents to identify real-time signs of seller distress or readiness to sell, giving them an advantage during the slower holiday season.

4. Tailor Your Messaging to the Holidays

Research shows that 59% of consumers love Christmas ads, so don’t be afraid to lean into the holiday season with your marketing and communication. 

Make your messaging more festive and strategic by:

• Recognizing the season with warm greetings, holiday treats, or handwritten notes

• Focusing on value, offering winter market insights, realistic selling timelines, and neighborhood trends

• Sharing seasonal real estate tips, such as winter home maintenance, home preparation for selling in the new year, and flexible selling options like delayed closings or short-term rent-backs

• Keeping your tone gentle and thoughtful, focusing on sellers’ needs and motivations

Using these outreach tips can help you set yourself apart from other agents, who may have paused their prospecting during the busy holiday season.

5. Mix Up Your Outreach Channels 

Effective outreach strategies often include multiple communication channels. Agents can stay visible by diversifying their marketing with:

As you craft your messaging and outreach schedule, remember that an authentic, caring presence will yield better results than high-pressure selling, especially during this time of year.

6. Revive Older Leads Using Updated Property Data

Don’t overlook cold or expired leads this winter. Now is the time when formerly uninterested prospects may be ready to start working with you.

You can use PropStream to check for signs that a lead may be ready to sell with you now, such as:

• An increase in equity
• A recently vacated property
• A changed mailing address
• New foreclosure activity
• Recent renovations
• Expired listings

7. Position Yourself as a Trusted Advisor, Not a Transaction Chaser

At a time when 64% of sellers believe real estate agents prioritize profits over their clients’ best interests, building credibility is essential for agent success. 

Sellers trust agents who show they truly care, are here to help, and are experts in their field. Establish yourself as a trustworthy advisor and offer practical value with:

• Accurate comps and neighborhood sale trends
• Honest advice about the best time for them to list their home
• Selling timelines
• Repair options and winter home preparation tips
• Pricing strategies and negotiation advice

How PropStream Helps Agents Find and Support Motivated Sellers

Motivated sellers aren’t pausing until the new year, and neither should agents.

Here’s how PropStream’s reliable data and marketing tools can help you find homeowners who need your support right now:

Run Accurate Comps & Market Analysis

Pulling comps with PropStream helps you understand exactly where a property stands before reaching out to a lead. Equipped with the right data, you can share meaningful, relevant insights with prospects.

Use Filters to Identify High-Probability Sellers

PropStream’s 165+ search filters allow you to target categories such as:

• Pre-foreclosures
• Tax-delinquent homeowners
• High-equity, long-time owners
• Vacant properties or absentee owners
• Divorce or probate-related indicators

Track Property Activity & Ownership Changes

Tracking property changes allows you to pinpoint signs of heightened seller urgency, even during holiday slowdowns.

Narrow your searches with filters like “Vacant,” “Bankruptcy,” “Tax Delinquent,” or “Pre-Foreclosure.” Or use our Lead Automator feature for daily property updates.

Use Marketing Tools to Stay Top-of-Mind

PropStream simplifies agent marketing by keeping your leads and outreach in one place. You can:

• Send postcards with a warm seasonal tone
• Build targeted email lists
• Skip trace and export leads to a predictive dialer, such as BatchDialer, for cold calling

Ready to break through the holiday slump with a list of high-intent leads?

Use PropStream to identify motivated sellers & personalize your outreach today!

*PropStream engages an independent third party to perform skip-tracing.