It’s that time of year again – back to school! I can hear a collective cheer from all parents around the world! Now is the time for our little ones to get off of the computer and social media and start filling their brains again. But what does this have to do with Real Estate? It’s actually a huge influence on the market. Traditionally each year, the market is strongest in March, April and May and things begin to slow down in June. July and August are almost always dead and I can only remember one year (I think it was 2007), when August was actually busy, bucking the trend. The slow activity can be directly related to the kids and school. As soon as the end of June comes around, the summer holidays begin. People are either going on vacation to Disneyland or some other family-friendly location or spending their summers (or at least weekends) at their cottages. The result? No buyers. If there are no buyers then why try to sell at this time? If you can avoid it, it’s always best to wait until the fall when the kids are settled in school, vacation time is over and life goes back to normal. Back to school is also a psychological season change - signaling cooler fall temperatures are on the way. Who wants to look at homes when it’s 30 degrees outside anyways? I did an open house on the weekend at a house where my clients had been away for a week. Before they left, they turned off the AC and when I walked into the home, the thermostat read 32 degrees! That sure was a fun afternoon! Don’t forget, real estate agents have families too and they frequently take time off during the summer as well. If we’re not out there pounding the pavement, things will naturally slow down. Words of advice: plan ahead 2-3 months and don’t forget, fall is the second busiest season of the year for buying and selling.