I just went back and looked at the past three months' worth of Trulia leads and visits to our Pearce website from Trulia. Leads were relatively flat from January through mid-February. They went up 11% to 20% from week to week after that; in the most recent report, they have doubled.
Although that's only one site, and the lead time for homebuyers can be long, it's a clear indication that interest in real estate is up, way up. And, even if some people look at houses online instead of Netflix, many of the lookers will translate into buyers.
Winter came so late this year that many buyers could begin the process without much interruption from the weather. Even the recent "blizzard" didn't do much to send people back inside to wait for warm weather. And sunshine helps--not only because it makes people feel positive, but because so many houses look their best in brighter light. Of course, we've also switched to daylight savings time, giving us another hour of what feels like daytime at the end of the working day. Anything that promotes movement and energy will boost traffic to open houses and initiate showings.
With all that happening, sellers should be doing everything in their power to get ready for the market, if they haven't already. Spring can be fleeting, so take advantage of it while it lasts!
