Seniors want to make the most of their golden years. They’re looking for properties that are well-suited to their needs and interests, so it’s up to real estate agents to get them the information they need.
By following these tips, you can better market your services as a real estate agent and attract more business from seniors:
1. Know their needs
The needs of seniors are very different from younger generations, and thus their marketing must reflect those differences. Seniors have a different lifestyle and priorities than younger generations, so keep this in mind when creating your marketing plan. Seniors are more likely to be homebodies instead of social butterflies, so it’s important that you know what kind of person is reading your advertisement before putting it out there for everyone else to see.
2. Use social media
Social media is a great way to engage with your audience and share your expertise. Posting about local events, news, and happenings can help you build a rapport with seniors in the community. Senior marketing is all about building relationships, so it’s important to use social media as an opportunity to connect with them on a personal level.
Posting relevant content will also increase brand awareness for potential buyers who may not have heard of you before but are now interested in learning more about what you have to offer. This could lead them down the path towards purchasing property from you later down the road!
3. Cater to their familial needs
Seniors are more likely to move closer to family. Seniors are more likely to move into a retirement community. Seniors are more likely to move into a smaller home with few stairs, and seniors are more likely to move into a home that has a yard for them to enjoy.
That’s why it’s important for real estate agents and other professionals in the industry to know what seniors want out of their next purchase so they can cater their marketing efforts accordingly—and even go beyond just targeting people over age 65 as potential buyers and sellers.
4. Get a senior living certification
The first step in marketing to seniors is getting a senior living certification. This is the first thing that most seniors want to see when they are looking for a new home and it’s also the requirement of most senior housing communities.
Senior living certification provides you with an understanding of the senior market, which can help you better understand what makes them tick and how to provide them with more value than any other broker or agent in town.
5. Be available to answer questions about financing
Your elderly clients will be more likely to use a real estate agent if they can get information about financing. They should be able to ask questions about financing without feeling pressured and be able to receive answers at the time of their choosing.
Here are some ways you can help your senior clients:
- Tell them about mortgage options for seniors, such as reverse mortgages and home equity loans.
- Provide information about retirement income from assets and investment accounts so they know how much money is available for buying property.
- Be available for questions about financing and ready to do more research for them even if you don’t have information: Not every senior knows how or has time to sit down with a loan officer, so be willing to answer any questions they might have about financing. For example, a question like ‘can you buy a house with your super?’ (superannuation) Then, you will have to simplify the answer explaining that it might not be as simple as withdrawing super, but there’s a way to leverage it and how.
- It is also important that you provide them with good referrals for lenders who specialize in lending money to seniors or those who are retired from military service.
6. Do make sure the website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate
Do make sure the website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate.
It’s important to make sure that your website is easily accessible by seniors on their mobile devices. This can be done by testing your site with a senior or two and seeing how it works for them. If you find any issues, please reach out! Once you test and fix any issues, consider adding links in the menu bar of your website so people can easily access all of your social media pages, blog posts and other helpful resources like articles about aging in place or home construction tips.
7. Use language that resonates with seniors
As you work to create a marketing plan for seniors, keep the following tips in mind:
- Use language that resonates with seniors. Be friendly and nonthreatening when communicating with prospects over the phone or in person.
- Use clear, concise text on your website, email messages, and social media posts. Keep sentences short and use common words that are easy for any audience to understand.
- Avoid jargon unless it is clearly defined for all readers (e.g., “FHA loan”). Do not use overly technical language or industry buzzwords that may be confusing to your target audience (e.g., “Zestimates”).
8. Be sensitive to their needs and interests
It is important to understand that the elderly are a large and growing demographic. In fact, many seniors are moving into senior communities, which can be an excellent way to sell real estate. However, it’s important not to forget that every person you meet has different needs and interests.
The most important thing you can do when working with seniors is to be sensitive to their needs as well as their limitations regarding mobility and hearing loss:
- Seniors have different needs than younger people
- Seniors tend to be more likely to be widowed or divorced—or live alone because of divorce or the death of a spouse or partner. This means they may not have close family members nearby who could help them out in an emergency situation like someone breaking into their home late at night after work hours!
- Many seniors also rely on fixed income sources such as Social Security checks from government programs; therefore they will need access at all times in order for these funds not being stolen by criminals looking for easy targets who won’t report them right away.
Conclusion
Do you have better ideas on how to market your real estate to seniors? It’s important to remember that they are a unique demographic with their own needs and interests, so don’t assume they will want the same things as other people. Also remember that they might not like using social media or having a lot of pictures on their website—but do make sure it’s mobile-friendly!