December 16, 2025

Stop Braking in December: The 2026 Real Estate Marketing Strategy for “Dead” Months

Joe Wilson · 6 minute read

stop braking in december

Everyone loves the phrase "don't take your foot off the gas."

I have a problem with that. Mostly because I drive a Cybertruck, so I don’t actually have a gas pedal. I have an accelerator. And when you stomp on it, you don't just move – you launch.

But the sentiment stands.

Right now, 90% of the mortgage and real estate industry is parking the car. They are turning on their "Out of Office" auto-responders, posting a generic "Happy Holidays" graphic, and checking out until January 6th.

They think the market is dead until the New Year.

They are wrong. If you are the only one posting educational content while everyone else is posting pictures of eggnog, you win.

Quiet markets don’t reward volume. They reward familiarity.

Here is the reality of the next two weeks – and the data that proves why you should be louder right now than you were in October.

The "Holiday Paradox" (Why Buyers Are Actually More Active)

There's a myth that nobody looks at homes or mortgages in late December.

The truth? Casual lookers quit. Serious buyers stay.

The people scrolling Zillow on December 23rd aren't doing it for fun – they're doing it because they are relocating for a job in January, or are going through a divorce, or need to buy before the end of the tax year.

In my experience, these are some of the highest-intent leads you’ll see all year.

The Data Doesn't Lie:

The Screen Time Spike: According to digital trends, the average adult spends over 57 hours staring at screens during the holiday break.
The Social Surge: A 2025 Sprout Social survey found that 80% of consumers plan to use social media as much or more during the holidays than the rest of the year.
The Supply/Demand Arbitrage: Historically, housing inventory drops by ~25% in December, but buyer intent only drops by ~10%. That means the Supply/Demand ratio actually tilts in your favor for the first time all year.

While your competition is asleep, your clients are doom-scrolling.

So if you're the only one posting educational content while everyone else is posting pictures of eggnog...you win.

The End-of-Year Acceleration Plan

I’m not saying you shouldn't enjoy your family. I’m saying you shouldn't let your business disappear.

Here are three moves that consistently work in this window, even when everything feels frozen.

You can create these manually, or you can use SocialCoach to share them in minutes – either way, just get them done.

1. The "Empty Roads" Video (Social Media)

Goal: Target the serious buyer who thinks they should wait for Spring, but pivot your messaging to focus less on "rates" (boring) and more on "opportunity" (exciting).

SEO Keywords: Buying a home in winter, 2026 housing market predictions, Mortgage rates forecast 2026

🎥 The Script (access it in the SocialCoach script library here):

Hook: "Everyone told you to wait until Spring to buy a home...and that might be the most expensive advice you ever take."

Body: "Right now, the market is 'frozen' – but that’s actually good for you. In Spring, you’ll be fighting 10 other buyers for the same house. Today? You might be the only one making an offer.

"If you're Googling 'Will house prices drop in 2026?', the data shows inventory will remain tight. Sellers who list in December aren't testing the market – they NEED to sell. That means you have leverage today that you won't have in March."

Call to Action: "If you’re home scrolling and wondering what you can actually afford, DM me the word 'WINTER'. I’ll run the numbers for you while everyone else is waiting."

📱 The Algorithm Cheat Sheet (Copy-Paste this):

Primary Hashtags: #HousingMarket2026 #BuyAHome #MortgageTips #WinterRealEstate
On-Screen Text (Video Cover): "Should I buy a house now or wait for 2026?"
(Note: This matches the #1 search query for buyers right now).

💡 The Leverage Play: Record this once in Video Catalyst, and we’ll edit it, caption it, and auto-post it to your social accounts for you.

2. The "Digital Holiday Card" (Direct Outreach)

Goal: Wake up your database without getting lost in the "Promotions" tab.

Most LOs send a paper holiday card. It costs $3.00, takes a week to arrive, and ends up in the trash. Emails are worse – open rates drop to ~12% during the holidays.

The Solution: Send a Personalized Video Text. Text messages have a 98% open rate. If you want to be seen, you have to be on the screen.

🎥 Record a 30-second video using this script:

"Hey [Name], I was thinking about you and wanted to pop in with a quick holiday hello. I hope you and your family are having a great holiday season and are getting a little time to slow down and enjoy it.

I just wanted to let you know that I’m offering a limited number of 'Annual Mortgage Review' time slots in January. It’s a quick check-in where we look at your equity, your goals for the new year, and any opportunities you might want to take advantage of — whether that’s saving on your payment, planning a renovation, or just figuring out if you’re still in the right loan.

If you want me to reserve one for you, just tap the link or shoot me a text. No pressure at all — it’s just a helpful reset going into 2026.

Enjoy the holidays, and talk soon!"

💡 The Leverage Play:

Use MVP (My Video Pages) to send to your network via text, email, or CRM. Use our teleprompter to easily record the video once, then we'll turn it into a branded, compliant landing page.

You text that link to your top 50 clients, or blast it out via your CRM. It feels 100% personal, but takes 1% of the time.

3. The "Holiday Party" Flex (Networking)

Goal: Capture leads at parties without carrying paper cards.

You’re going to be at holiday parties. Someone is going to ask, "How's the market?" Don't fumble for a business card they'll lose before they even make it home.

💡 The Leverage Play: Pull out your phone and have them scan your SocialCoach Player Card – your digital business card and "link-in-bio" all in one. They scan your QR code, and boom – your contact info, calendar link, and social channels are saved in their phone instantly. It’s the "digital handshake" that actually converts.

Your Calendar: December 15 - January 1

If you want to coast, stop reading.

If you want to launch into 2026, here's your schedule:

Dec 15 - Dec 19: Batch Record
- Shoot 3 videos (Use the script above + 2 others).
Dec 20 - Dec 23: MVP Outreach
- Send 5 personalized video texts per day to your VIP database.
Dec 24 - Dec 26: Auto-Pilot
- Let your scheduled posts run. Put your phone down. Eat the cookies.
Dec 27 - Dec 30: The "Resolution" Pivot
- Post content about "Financial Fitness for 2026." (Keywords: First-time home buyer tips 2026, Credit repair for buying a house).
Jan 1: The "Anti-Generic" Post
- Don't post a "Happy New Year" graphic. Post a picture of your face or your family, and a prediction for the year.

Steal Our 2026 Content Starter Guide

If you want to keep showing up consistently (even when the market goes quiet), we pulled together our most downloaded content resources — all designed to help mortgage and real estate pros create high-impact content fast.

📥 Get the 2026 Content Starter Guide

Want Hands-On Support Building Your 2026 Social Plan? Join January Boot Camp

If you don’t just want resources — you want a system — our January Social Media Boot Camp is where we build your entire 2026 strategy with you.

In four weeks, you’ll learn how to:
• Build a repeatable content plan
• Create videos people actually watch
• Turn social engagement into real conversations
• Stay consistent with workflows that fit your schedule

It’s free, it’s tactical, and it’s built specifically for mortgage + real estate pros.
👉 Save Your Seat for January Boot Camp

Final Thought

The roads are empty. The competition is parked.

You can take the next two weeks off like everyone else, or you can spend 60 minutes setting up your content and let the system drive for you.

If you want the easy button, SocialCoach is ready. If not, just promise me you won’t let your feed go dark.

Your future clients are watching.

Create Your Holiday Video Plan Now with SocialCoach

Frequently Asked Questions (For Your Strategy):

Q: Is the housing market dead in December?

A: No. While transaction volume drops, buyer intent spikes. Data shows serious buyers (relocations, tax moves) are highly active in late December, and competition for these leads is at its lowest point of the year.

Q: What should real estate agents post during the holidays?

A: Avoid generic "Happy Holidays" graphics. Instead, post 2026 Market Predictions and Opportunity Analysis. Explain why buying during the "frozen" winter months offers leverage that disappears in the Spring.

Q: How do I engage my database without annoying them during Christmas?

A: Use personalized video texts. Text messages have a 98% open rate compared to 12% for emails during the holidays. Offer value (like an "Annual Equity Review") rather than asking for a referral.

🚀 Ready to lead instead of react?

Borrowers are searching for clarity – if you’re not the one answering their questions, someone else will.

Book a 15-minute walkthrough to see how SocialCoach helps lenders and marketing teams stay ahead of industry trends with ready-to-use scripts, compliance-safe posting, and personalized video tools that build trust fast.

Related Resources

🚀 SocialCoach Features & Tools

Video Catalyst: Create High-Impact Videos in Minutes
- Get 3 ready-to-film scripts every Monday plus professional editing, captions, and auto-posting.
MVP (My Video Pages): Send Personalized Videos That Actually Get Watched
- Turn any video into a branded, trackable landing page you can send via text or email. Get view + click analytics, add custom CTAs, and make every outreach feel personal (without taking more time).
Player Cards: Your Digital Business Card That Actually Converts
- Showcase your posts, MVP videos, testimonials, and contact info in one shareable link. Perfect for holiday parties, open houses, and quick networking — no paper cards required.
Social Media Automation: Keep Posting Even When You Unplug
- Schedule, randomize, and scale content across hundreds of loan officers and agents — without losing authenticity.

Compliance Controls: Stay Safe While Posting More Often
- Stay safe with proactive filters, automatic archiving, and brand-level oversight

Book a SocialCoach Demo to see how we make social scalable, compliant, and effective across your entire team.