Holiday Period Home Sales substantially up at Alexander Swart Property.

The traditional view, that residential property sales are almost impossible to achieve over the summer holiday period is no longer valid, says Rowan Alexander, Director of Alexander Swart Property, the Cape Town Northern Suburbs estate agency.

For the last three years they have noticed that sales, from mid-December to 10^th January, previously thought to be a dead sales period for estate agents, have been improving. This year Alexander Swart achieved 50 to 60% of their normal monthly sales in this formerly no-go sales period. Marie Grant, a top -performer at the agency actually broke every record for this period by signing no less than seven sales contracts in three weeks.

Asked to explain this change in home buying trends over the holiday season, Alexander is of the opinion that it is partly due to the decline in corporate employment opportunities. This has led to a rise in highly motivated entrepreneurial middle class people, either self-employed or who work for small and medium enterprises, who cannot afford to take long leaves; instead they tend to take short breaks throughout the year as their minds remain focussed on business, and activities such as house buying 24\7 round the clock. This, Alexander added, often results in good buys because the shortage of other buyers at the time, makes it easier for them do a deal.

"The change in buying patterns during this time of year very definitely warrants our attention and I am sure will lead to changes in the way we go about our business. This very welcome upturn in our sales augers well for the coming year, in which we know there will be tough challenges, but also, as previously predicted, an upturn in home sales from the third quarter onwards."

For further information please contact Rowan Alexander by email: rowan@asproperty.co.za cell-phone: 082 581 3116.