These three tips can help you get senior homeowners into the market.
We have incredibly low home inventory in our area right now, so many Realtors are trying to figure out how to get long-time homeowners off the fence and into the market. In the past, older adults would generally sell their homes and move to places with less upkeep, but that trend has changed. Now, people are holding onto their properties due to the pandemic, advances in in-home care support, and even longer lifespans.
Some people could truly benefit from moving to smaller homes or retirement communities, so today we’ll be talking about three ways you can help them make the decision to move sooner rather than later:
1. Discuss their options: Sometimes, we assume that people already know what’s out there in the market. However, older clients may not do as much internet research as younger generations might—they could be totally unaware of senior or maintenance-free communities, for example. They rely on word of mouth, print media, television commercials, and us as real estate professionals. We must educate them because if they don’t know where they can move, they certainly won’t do so.
“You need to educate, advocate, coach, consult, and help your older clients solve problems.”
2. Give solutions for downsizing: There can be a lot of challenges that surround moving and downsizing. Because of this, we need to provide solutions that fix these problems and make the transition easier. Helpful things to discuss include moving managers, estate liquidators, organizers, and others who can help homeowners decide what to do.
3. Stop scripting and start coaching and consulting: Too many agents follow a script in order to hurry a sale, but that won’t work here. In fact, older adults often find scripts to come across as phony. In these situations, you need to educate, advocate, coach, consult, and help your older clients solve problems.
If you have any questions or would like more information about working with older clients, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon
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