Buyers had a little more purchasing power in 2024, but two headwinds remained: Roughly 85% of homeowners carry interest rates below 6%, and there are not enough homes to buy.

Sellers have been postponing selling. They sell if they have to.

According to the National Association of Realtors 2024 migration trends report, those relocating were driven primarily by the desire to be closer to family and friends (30%) and to get more home for the money (21%).

But sellers clearly don’t want to give up a 3% or 4% interest rate loan and then turn around and buy a more expensive home with a higher interest rate. So, they’re staying where they are and investing in home improvements.

The good news for those who want to sell is there’s less competition. You’ll sell faster and get more for your money. Commissions, always negotiable, may be falling slightly in the wake of the National Association of Realtors settlement.

If you’re going to sell your home in 2025, here are some resolutions you might want to make.

Resolution 1: Decide whether you need an agent. We’ve long felt that real estate agents are helpful, especially when the overall housing market favors buyers. But when the market favors sellers, you might want to try selling your home by owner.

Should you do a pocket listing? Many brokers will try to sell your home privately, to another agent who works for the same broker. We’re on the record as saying we don’t love this because publicly listing your home raises awareness and should produce a better offer. But if it takes a few days for the broker to get your home listed, or if you need to do work and the broker can talk it up to other brokers in the firm, and you get a quick sale, maybe that works in a market where there are few buyers.

Resolution 2: Figure out where you’re going and how much you can spend ahead of time. In the National Association of Realtors 2024 migration trends report, southern states (Florida, Texas, and the Carolinas) are the big winners when it comes to migration. Florida was the state with the highest net migration, 372,870 people; followed by Texas, 315,301; North Carolina, 126,712; and South Carolina, 91,853.

Those relocating were driven primarily by the desire to be closer to family and friends (30%) and to get more home for the money (21%). Specific homes were chosen based on outdoor space (42%), additional square footage (31%) and because they’re in a quieter area (24%).

If you’re feeling like a move is in your near future, take some time to think through your options ahead of time. Walk through different neighborhoods at different times of the day and night. Book a weekend trip to experience life in other areas before you start shopping for a home. Use online tools to figure out how much your home is worth.

Make sure you think carefully about how long you’ll plan to stay in your new home before you sell. And, when you want to be in your new home. Because if you sell quickly but then can’t find a place to buy, you might make a fast mistake — and pay for it later.

Resolution 3: Take care of the small stuff before you list. Every home needs work. Including yours. Expect your buyer’s professional home inspector to find everything that’s wrong with your home. This year, we watched as a sticky door almost torpedoed a condo being sold by one of Sam’s clients.

There are two things you can do before listing your home that will pay off: First, fix all the small stuff; second, give your home a thorough cleaning.

Putting your home in the best shape possible provides the opportunity to generate the maximum amount of interest. And, that should help deliver the best possible offer.

Ilyce Glink is the CEO of Best Money Moves and Samuel J. Tamkin is a real estate attorney. Contact them through the website ThinkGlink.com.