Best move when you need to sell before buying?

Insight
When selling before buying, most people see one move as essential: start the search early and get pre-approved. It’s not just a financial step, it’s a mental one. The earlier you engage, the more control you feel, and the more confidently you can move when your current home goes under contract.

Notably, few people choose options like rent-backs or short-term rentals, solutions that can offer strong strategic advantages but are often overlooked or misunderstood. In a fast-paced market like South Florida, where timing can make or break a deal, preparation needs to go hand-in-hand with flexibility.

Interestingly, more complex strategies like rent-backs or bridge loans got minimal support. That doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t effective but it suggests that most people either don’t understand these options well or don’t consider them practical.

What Most People Miss

Getting pre-approved is a smart move but it's only part of the preparation. Too often, buyers don’t take the extra step to truly understand what’s realistic in their price range before listing their current home. That lack of clarity can create pressure, indecision, or wasted time looking at the wrong options.

If you're someone who needs a sense of control, consider lining up a bridge rental early in the process. It removes the urgency from having to find the perfect place immediately, giving you room to breathe, and negotiate from a position of strength.

Added benefits? It’s the perfect excuse to start decluttering early and with intention. This underrated step simplifies the move, improves your home’s presentation, and makes everything more manageable, emotionally and logistically.

Buying or selling during the holidays: what’s your approach?    

Insight

Most respondents said they would keep going during the holidays, hoping to benefit from less competition. In contrast, only a few chose to pause or rely more on their agent.

At first glance, this might suggest that many buyers and sellers plan to stay active through the season, but in reality, these results likely reflect what people think they should do, rather than what actually happens.

What Most People Miss

After speaking with several agents, one thing became clear: while clients often say they’ll “keep going,” most press pause once the holidays arrive. Year after year, agents hear the same line in December: “Let’s talk again in January.”

That hesitation is understandable, but it can also be a missed opportunity. The market doesn’t stop completely, and those who stay engaged by researching neighborhoods, reviewing listings, or preparing their property start the new year steps ahead.

Even if you’re not ready to act, the holidays are the perfect time to prepare. By the time January comes, serious buyers and sellers already have a plan while others are just getting started.

Header image courtesy of Tyler Tuchow. 1730 SE 13th St Fort Lauderdale FL. View property here.

^{Poll conducted across Fortune Christie’s social media platforms in 2025. Responses include buyers, sellers, and agents.}