Selling Real Estate to Millennials – How To

Millennials get a bad reputation.  They are seen as the flighty, shiftless generation.  They came of age during the 2008 economic crash which makes them skittish about big purchases and investments.  Millennials are used to instant gratification so communicating with them is a different challenge than in the past.  They expect personalized and customized service when buying a home.

They are also one of the biggest growth demographics for real estate.

In a poll done by Fannie Mae, Millennials are hot to buy homes.  They would strongly prefer to buy instead of rent.  The top reasons Millennials cited were “having control over what you do with your living space” and “having a sense of privacy and security”.  Millennials also indicated that they wanted to feel a sense of community.  It all makes sense.  Millennials think of themselves as unique and want the freedom to customize their environments as they see fit.

Minimalist?  Whimsical?  A space for two or a space for a growing family?

Millennials are not a “one size fits all” demographic.  Speak to their unique tastes and needs by cultivating a customized experience! 

So how do you talk to them?

If you don’t have a social media presence, you aren’t selling to Millennials.  Maeve Duggan, Research Associate at Pew Research Center, explains the social media breakdown in this article.  Millennials make up one of the largest demographics of social media users across all platforms and they won’t take you seriously if they can’t find you online.  A hot website is the key to attracting Millennials.  You should have a space of your own where they can see both your professionalism and personal flair.  Debra Kaye of Entreprenuer.com writes about the importance of having a robust and creative social media presence.

Some tips and tricks to make your website shine:

• Make your website clean, colorful, easy to use and engaging.
• Tell your story!  Millennials want to work with people they can relate to.
• Tell their stories!  Creative testimonials will attract interest and new prospects.
• Have prominent links to all of your social media platforms.

It’s absolutely critical that it be 100% mobile friendly.  Developers call these types of websites “responsive”, meaning that they respond appropriately to the device that they’re used on.  Having a responsive website is important for credibility, especially among Millennials who expect information to be delivered to them in a way that is easy to read and digest.  More people use cell phones instead of laptops to access the internet and cell phones are rapidly becoming the primary tool we use to get our information, as is explained by Groove Digital Marketing.

Websites that do not respond to the phone format can be easily overlooked or discounted.  Google also penalizes non-responsive websites.  Fortunately, you don’t need coding or development experience to have a slick, clean, responsive and engaging website.  Winning Agent has easy to customize, fully responsive web themes that you can make your own.  They’re perfect for the busy agent who understands the importance branding their business online. Check out more information here where you can find product listings and tutorials that will show you just how easy it is to create your unique online voice!

Millennials appreciate a robust web and social media presence that they can interact with so give them something they can really sink their teeth into.

Make your Facebook page memorable and engaging

• Publish video tours and links to useful and interesting articles.
• Do a new spin on testimonials! Encourage personal stories from your Millennial clients by asking them to post pictures of video content of themselves and their new home– their stories will stand out and existing and prospective clients will feel a positive connection and level of personal care.

Personalized and interesting content is more likely to be shared and commented on.  By maximizing your Facebook presence and combining it with a responsive, easy to use website, you’ll stand out as a reputable and relatable source.

In addition to your own website and Facebook page, feel free to explore other platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat.  Both are highly pictorial and widely used.  Technological knowledge will go a long way in building rapport with Millennials.  They’ll see you as someone that they can trust, someone who “gets them”.

When selling to Millennials, remember that a personal touch is absolutely vital.  They don’t want just a brick and mortar home.  They want a place they can customize and cherish as a unique reflection of them.  You have the ability to be part of their vision.  If you make them happy, you’ll have a loyal referral source for years to come.