The U.S. housing market remains largely frozen as homeowners with low fixed-rate mortgages hold off on selling, unwilling to exchange their sub-4% loans for today’s much higher rates. Buye...
Ryan Bruen: The Spring Seller's Paradox - Why Waiting Until March Could Cost You the Best Buyers
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21 Jan 2026
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As homeowners across the Northeast shake off their New Year’s celebrations and start thinking about spring real estate plans, a common pattern emerges: sellers planning to list in March or April who haven’t yet started preparing their homes.
According to Ryan Bruen of The Bruen Team at Coldwell Banker Realty in Morristown, New Jersey, this timing represents a critical mistake that can cost sellers both time and money.
“I see too many people delay further in the spring because they have projects they want to complete,” Bruen explains. “Either those projects aren’t as important as they think, and they lose more by waiting than they gain by completing them, or they should put more resources toward getting those projects done quicker because getting ahead of the market will have a greater advantage than they realize.”
The Buyer-Seller Timeline Gap
The spring market creates a fundamental mismatch between buyer and seller readiness. When warm weather triggers the annual real estate awakening, buyers can mobilize immediately while sellers face weeks or months of preparation.
“When buyers decide it’s time to look, they could be out looking at houses that same weekend,” Bruen notes. “They can get a pre-approval that same day. Sellers get that same itch with warm weather, but most are looking at a month to a few months of preparing their home. They need to fix this, fix that, get rid of stuff.”
This creates what Bruen calls the “sweet spot” for strategic sellers: the brief window when motivated buyers flood the market before new inventory arrives to meet that demand. Sellers who position themselves to capture this moment face significantly less competition and more eager buyers.
The Three Essential Preparation Steps
For homeowners serious about a spring sale, Bruen outlines three critical actions that should begin in January, not March.
First: decluttering. “It takes a lot more time than you think,” he warns. “You have a lot more stuff than you probably think. Moving it and getting rid of it isn’t that hard—it’s the decision-making. Going through stuff and figuring out what stays, what goes, where it’s going takes much longer than people anticipate.”
Second: repairs and renovations. “Anything you need to do to spruce up your house for the market, you should start now,” Bruen advises. “It might take longer than you think. The contractors and tradespeople you need might be more backed up than you expect.”
Third, and most important: consultation. “Start the conversation with your agent now,” he emphasizes. “Some of these things you might not even need. You might not be sure where preparation fits into the process.”
The Renovation Return Reality
Bruen frequently finds himself advising sellers against renovations they assume are necessary. “More often than I’m advising people on what they should renovate to get ready for the market, I’m advising them that their planned renovation project will actually have a negative return on investment.”
The projects worth doing fall into the “cheap and easy” category – painting, updating hardware, patching, and repairs. “I’m not talking crappy or crummy work, but smaller projects,” he clarifies. “Painting is huge – relatively inexpensive with a massive impact on how your home looks.”
What doesn’t work: major renovations like full bathroom or kitchen overhauls. “Those usually do not have a positive return on investment,” Bruen says. “They take a long time, there’s lots of room for project creep, you’re likely not getting a full return on it, and you have to hope it meets that buyer’s tastes.”
His example: a driveway in mediocre condition. “Unless it’s in horrible condition, you’re probably better off doing a patch and seal coat than ripping it up and repaving.”
Early 2026 Market Signals
Despite historically low activity throughout 2025, Bruen reports surprisingly robust early signals for 2026. Even during the first week of January, he’s seen significant movement.
“Just a day or two after the New Year holiday, I saw a fair amount of homes coming on the market and sellers reaching out looking to sell their home,” he notes. “From what I’m seeing both on the ground and from industry experts, I’m anticipating a more active real estate market this year than we saw in 2025.”
This anticipated uptick makes early preparation even more critical. Increased activity means more competition among sellers, but also more motivated buyers for those who list early.
The First-Time Buyer Challenge
For buyers entering the Morris County market, Bruen’s advice centers on patience and location prioritization. “There are opportunities out there, but they’re fewer and further spaced out than in years past,” he acknowledges. “The trick is patience.”
He particularly cautions first-time buyers against compromising on location. “I would rather buy a house I don’t love in a town and neighborhood I really want to be in than find a house I love in a town I don’t want to be in,” Bruen says. “Once you have children and build a life for yourself and make friends, moving to a new town can be challenging.”
His reasoning: upgrading to a better house in the right location is far less disruptive than relocating your entire life to a different community. “If you decide to move later to a better house, you’re not completely upending your life. Your friends can remain the same, your children can stay in the same schools.”
The Bottom Line
For sellers planning spring listings, the message is clear: the time to prepare is now, not when the first warm weekend arrives. The projects that truly add value take less time and money than most assume, while major renovations rarely justify their cost or delay.
“Get me in the door now,” Bruen urges. “Let me start working on plans and give you a more realistic timeline. Let’s dispel some myths. I don’t want to see people spinning their wheels on things that aren’t important when it comes to getting their home sale plans into place.”
The sellers who act now won’t just beat the spring rush – they’ll capture the most motivated buyers before competition from other listings dilutes their advantage.
Ryan Bruen heads The Bruen Team at Coldwell Banker Realty in Morristown, New Jersey, where he specializes in serving buyers and sellers throughout Morris County. A multi-generational real estate family, The Bruen Team has held the #1 sales position at their Coldwell Banker office for over seven years. For more information, visit bruenrealestate.com.
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