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They invented the suburbs

Suburban home development occurred simultaneously with baby boomers’ ability to make down payments on a mortgage and their desire to leave urban marketplaces. They still live in the suburbs, where many now own their homes 100 percent.

They plan to live in a better house

The article explains that 70 percent of baby boomers think their current house is not the best they can get and they are looking to upgrade. Baby boomers are setting new trends that defy traditional definitions of a “relaxed” retirement. Instead, they are diligently looking for newly constructed homes where they can continue to pursue an active lifestyle surrounded by the latest amenities.

They are loyal to their brands

Their brand loyalty is tenacious. Once they find a brand they like, or the one they grew up with, they stick with it; Volkswagen cars, Levi jeans, Harley Davidson motorcycles, Club Med, Noxzema, L’eggs. This means that finding out what your baby boomer client’s interests are will help guide you toward homes that best meet these trends and, ultimately, increase the chances of closing a deal.

They are not defined by their parents

Woodstock, the famous music festival, was a counter cultural event which symbolized that the baby boomers were not going to be defined by their parent’s morals or lifestyle. They were going to think and act for they themselves – and they still want to be thought of that way. The least hint of patronizing the baby boomers will flatten any marketing campaign.

They do use social media,but in a different way

As you develop your social media strategy for baby boomers, be aware that while a 20-year old is posting photos of their night out on Instagram or Snapchat, while a baby boomer is more likely to post a photograph of a new grandbaby or the new RV they just purchased on Facebook. It’s the more ‘traditional’ venues such as Facebook and Twitter that are used by baby boomers; so keep your focus there.

Baby boomers are not ‘old’

Baby boomers do not want to be reminded of their age or be considered as old; rather, they want to be encouraged about their accomplishments and their future. They want to hear about the opportunities that reside before them to experience new chapters in their life.

In addition to marketing resources for the baby boomer market, this field guide also provides tips on reverse mortgage basics, housing trends for the over-50 demographic, related websites relevant to this audience and links to eBooks & other resources. Visit realtor.org to find the field guide’s resource page or check out this story on abqjournal.com/homestyle for a direct link.

Source: Bschwartz, themembersedge.blogs.realtor.org