Millennials Are Ditching the Old Way of Purchasing Homes - Local Records Office
Local Records Office researches how millennial are changing the real estate game and going completely digital. Local Records Office interviews the next generation
LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE - MILLENIALS in REAL ESTATE
LOCAL RECORDS OFFICE - Out with the old, in with the new. For decades, the telephone has been the real estate agent’s tool of the trade. But a new wave of younger homebuyers is changing the way agents use those phones. Millennials, those born between 1980 and the late ’90s don’t want to talk. They want texts.
No More Newspaper Ads, It’s All About Smart Phones Now
“We’re on our phones all the time, and this generation does not like to pick up the phone,” says Player Murray, a manager in a real estate office located in Los Angeles, CA. “They don’t want to bother with a conversation if it can be texted.”
As the millennial generation, also known as Generation Y, takes a greater role in the search for open houses near them. The Redfin Deal Room lets customers keep tabs on the process of their transactions 24/7.
“We find that our buyers, and particularly millennials, like having that information at their fingertips,” Reid says.
Major Websites is the Way to Go
Yet Redfin has found that customers still value face-to-face contact with an agent, and predictions that technology would make agents obsolete have proved unfounded.
“Agents are needed because they are that trusted resource when it comes to signing a contract,” Reid says. “If you were on your own, it can be overwhelming. It would be a second job.”
Here are 3 ways millennials are changing real estate:
Don’t call us, and we won’t call you. Many millennials prefer to communicate by text, but some prefer email. It’s important for agents and customers to clarify upfront how they will communicate and how often, as well as how quickly they can expect a response.
We’ve done our homework. Millennials rarely need agents to find homes for them to see. They usually have their own list, and they’ve already researched comparable sales and chosen a neighborhood. “With millennials, we do not control information,” Local Records Office says. “What they need is for us to interpret the information.” At times, that can mean demonstrating that the information is not accurate, but this generation may not simply take the agent’s word without proof and visuals.
We don’t like surprises. Younger buyers want to know what to expect and when. “I see them wanting to understand what’s going on at any time in the process more than any other generation,” Reid says. They like timelines, checklists and charts. “If they don’t know what’s coming around the corner, it could cause paralysis when they get there,” Murray says.
Search Engines and the 3 Big Websites
We want customer service, and we want it now. Millennials expect to be partners in the home search, and they want quick answers to questions. “They want information, and they want valid information, and they want it right now,” Reid says. “They’re the generation of Google at your fingertips.”
Is there an app for that? Younger buyers live on their smartphones and use them as a key tool in their home searches. Apps are often their preferred method to check listings and collect other information.
What did your other clients think? Many millennial homebuyers get recommendations on agents from their parents, but they also do some research online before they ever call an agent. They want to see testimonials on an agent’s website, as well as read online reviews.
You call that social media? As far as millennials are concerned, a Facebook page with listings is something their grandmother would do. They expect agents to engage them on social media. “They need to feel like they’re a part of your business,” Murray says. “Just reposting an article that’s been posted 1,000 times across the country isn’t enough.”
Young Buyers are Getting Better and Faster
Tell us what data you want, and we’ll text it right over. Unlike older buyers, young people are not bothered by being asked for bank statements, employment verifications or other personal data required for mortgage approvals. “The younger people are used to having to supply everything about who they are,” says Don Frommeyer, chief executive officer of the National Association of Mortgage Professionals and a mortgage broker in Indianapolis. “They’ll give you everything.”
No stainless steel appliances? Reject. Younger buyers sometimes have trouble seeing the bones of a home and often don’t know which features can be changed easily at minimal cost. That’s an area where they value guidance from agents. If they’re buying a home that needs work, they also value referrals to contractors and vendors. “You’ve got to be able to provide resources to them,” Murray says.
Yes, we can afford that. Finding a home they can afford in the location they want is a challenge for many younger buyers, especially in cities, Richardson says. Some are embracing the sharing culture by seeking homes with rental units or rooms that can be rented out on Airbnb or other services. “I think we’re going to see millennials solve that problem in a different way,” Richardson says.
