One of the hot topics in the industry right now is getting millennials into the housing market.
We reached out to FORCE members to see whether millennials are actively searching for homes in their markets, how they have responded to this age group, and whether they think this trend will continue.
No Matter the State—The Millennial Market is Hot
Millennials looking for homes seems to be an increasing trend throughout our nation. No matter what the location, FORCE members have much in common.
Leslie O’Reilly, of RE/MAX Masterpiece Realty in Florida, proudly expressed her area is perfect for younger families and her business reflects it.
“I would have to say yes, this is a trend in my market. There are a lot of young families looking to purchase their first homes. I advertise actively, and they seem to be attracted to the advertising I do,” O’Reilly said.
Millennials looking for homes are not only increasing in her market, they are even becoming a regular customer for her business.
She also noted, “I have seen an increase in younger families coming to me. The age group in my market varies, but I think that lately it’s been a lot of younger families purchasing their first homes in this market right now.”
Michael Santangelo, of Robert DeFalco Realty in New York, is in the same boat as O’Reilly.
“I am seeing this trend in my market. There are a lot of young families looking for their first home. It’s great to see this,” Santangelo happily said.
Even though they are in entirely different areas of the U.S, yet another FORCE member is familiar with this trend.
“Yes we’re seeing this trend in our market. They’re coming in as first time homebuyers,” Al Naticchioni, of RE/MAX of Redding in California, said.
Marketing Toward Millennials
FORCE members attract and handle millennials in different ways, but they all share a common goal: closing the deal.
O’Reilly takes a tried and trusted approach.
“I always make sure they’re prequalified and I really focus on finding them a home that fits their needs and budget,” he said
Santangelo also sticks with his trusted arsenal, but focuses on educating his young clientele throughout the process.
“I don’t really change my advertising or methods to try to attract this age group, especially since I have a lot of REO properties. I do the same thing I’ve always been taught. I’ve been doing this since ’87; you can’t change the wheel,” Santangelo said with confidence.
He made sure to add however, that it does take a greater oversight in making sure millennials understand the home buying process. “I get them over to lender, sit down with them, educate them, let them know the closing costs and walk them through everything. I’m usually able to close my deals with these younger families,” Santangelo said.
Naticchioni, on the other hand, said technology is the key to unlocking success with younger clients.
“The Internet has probably been our best tool in attracting this age group. We put our bar codes on our signs where they can actually scan them right off the signs. This actually gives us a good connection with the Millenials(?). Just being tech savvy is probably the best approach,” said Naticchioni.
He then emphasized, “The more techy you are, the better; so we do change our approach when working with this age group. I’ve been licensed since 1974 so most of these young families appreciate my knowledge. A lot of them really don’t know much about real estate since they’re first getting into it.”
A Trend That is Here To Stay
I do think this trend will continue. In this particular area, it is very affordable for families to live here because it is so reasonable. I think that this is a prime area for them,” O’Reilly said.
“I do think this trend will continue. I see a lot of younger people in my area,” Santangelo agreed.
“My market is very diverse, but I do think this trend of younger families will continue. I think right now it’s at a low point and climbing up. I think they were only 26% of our market last year and it should be getting near 38 percent. We’re expecting an increase this year.,” Naticchioni claimed.