Where demand held up
Urban cores with strong transit (NYC, Chicago, Boston) saw steady weekday demand, while suburban luxury slowed but did not stop—buyers with cash kept touring between storms.
- Condos near transit: Tuesday–Thursday evenings stayed strong, especially for units with in-building amenities.
- Townhomes with garages: Saw a 12% uptick over detached homes in the same price band due to easier winter access.
- New construction: Warm, staged models pulled weekend traffic even in colder markets.
Timing that converts
Winter scheduling is a game of compression. The best-performing windows we saw:
- Weekday: 4–7 PM—clients tour after work while there is still light.
- Saturday: 11 AM–2 PM—hits before temperatures dip and roads refreeze.
- Weather buffers: Keep a backup slot within 24 hours to recover weather cancellations.
Pro tip: Offer two hold times when you book a winter tour. Agents who gave a backup slot saw 18% fewer cancellations.
How teams are staffing
- Micro-coverage maps: Teams broke metros into smaller cells so on-call agents were always within 15–20 minutes.
- Skill-based routing: First-time buyers went to patient educators; investors to speed-focused agents who could cover multiple stops.
- Check-ins: Auto pings at “on the way,” “arrived,” and “wrapped” calmed client nerves when weather was iffy.
What to watch next
Inventory is expected to loosen slightly post-holiday. Keep weekend coverage wide, tighten weekday coverage to zip clusters with active pendings, and keep templated messages ready for sudden weather changes.
Stay covered when weather turns
Use Showfer to keep a nearby agent on deck and send clients timely updates without scrambling.