5 Tips for Realtors Marketing to Senior Buyers and Retirees
Senior buyers and retirees make up a huge portion of the American population. According to the Population Reference Bureau, the Baby Boomer generation consists of more than 76 million people living across all 50 states in the US. When it comes to real estate buying, this demographic keeps on the lookout for things that younger generations might not consider, even if they seem onboard with the latest trends like buying using crypto.
Things like location amenities, home features, and accessibility add-ons play a big part in a senior’s property search. So how can you better accommodate senior buyers and retirees? Keep reading for five tips to make your marketing more effective.
How to market to senior buyers and retirees
Don’t forget digital marketing
Although it would seem that senior buyers and retirees prefer traditional marketing like mail, phone calls, and signage, don’t discount their presence in today’s connected world.
Many older parents and grandparents stay in touch with their families online, which means they often spend plenty of time checking their email or browsing pictures on Facebook. This is the perfect opportunity for you to use these channels for marketing. Send emails and post listings targeted at this older demographic. And when they begin to reach out, keep your digital presence alive. Video chats are a great way to add your personalized touch, and virtual home tours help you offer convenience to buyers who might have mobility issues
Emphasize location amenities
Part of effectively marketing to senior buyers and retirees is considering location amenities. Like any other demographic, older buyers take into account a property’s location and the amenities offered nearby. While some prefer suburban or rural areas, and others retirement communities, senior buyers want to know a property’s proximity to the nearest grocery stores, shopping centers, and entertainment venues. But just as importantly, they need to know whether the area offers public transportation, medical services, and other services that are important to an aging population.
Keep things simple
Aside from digital marketing and location amenities, successful marketing to senior buyers and retirees means sticking to simple properties. Many people in the older demographic prefer to shed any excess belongings they have, which often means downsizing their retirement home.
Obviously, this depends on the buyer. No demographic is immune to having a few with somewhat extravagant tastes. But for the most part, senior buyers prefer a modest-size home that comes with a large kitchen for entertaining guests, or a multi-car garage for housing a car collection.
On a similar note, home buyers in this demographic want to downsize their list of home maintenance chores as well. This means that your marketing strategy should involve emphasizing low- or no-maintenance items like metal roofing, gutter guards, vinyl windows, and landscaping features that don’t require upkeep.
Remember accessibility
Accessibility is a major selling point to buyers in the senior age group. Many have mobility issues, and those who don’t will want to make sure their new home won’t make them over exert themselves or put them at risk of injury.
For these reasons, senior buyers and retirees prefer single-floor homes built on a slab rather than on a foundation. This eliminates the risks that come with having stairs. However, for homes that do include more than one floor, senior buyers likely will want the option to have a lift or an elevator added on.
Apart from these major factors, remember to stress the little things as well. As you evaluate properties, go through and see how accessible the homes are to people using a wheelchair, or for people who have a difficult time reaching high or low spaces. Ask questions like:
- Along stairs, decks, or porches, does the home have sturdy handrails?
- Are bathroom vanities and countertops low enough for easy access?
- Are all the sinks and faucets easy to reach and use?
- In the kitchen, do the base cabinets have drawers, or are they reach-in?
It’s all of these little things that add up and make for everyday accessibility, and these are the things senior buyers are looking for.
Stage appropriately
Staging a home can make the difference between closing a sale and “We’ll keep looking.” For the older demographic of folks, keep in mind these two things: they want to make sure their house has adequate space for family and friends, and they also want their spaces to feel familiar yet fresh.
Just because many seniors want to downsize their home doesn’t mean they want it to look small. When staging, make each space look large enough for its intended use. In the kitchen, prep it to look inviting as though its ready to host the next family gathering. In dining and living areas, keep surfaces tidy rather than having them look like office or work spaces, and push furniture toward the edges of the room to make the space feel open and casual.
Speaking of furniture and decor, buyers in this age group like to mix the past and present. Antiques can help bring out comforting feelings of familiarity, while modern furnishings and decor evoke feelings of freshness, luxury, and good times ahead. A good way to combine the two might be to add an old rocking chair, picture frame, or art piece into a space along with a new lamp, centerpiece, or sofa.
How do you market to senior buyers?
Take advantage of these five tips to effectively market to senior buyers and retirees. Remember that this large demographic is actively online and looking for things like location amenities, simplicity, and accessibility.
Do you have to know any other great tips for marketing to seniors? We’d love to hear them! Comment below and share your experience selling to this special demographic.
