Realtors are Too Old to Relate to First Time Home Buyers

The average age of a Realtor is 51.  The average age of a first time home buyer in the United States is 31.  That is an entire generation gap.  And it is not an easy gap to cross.

I am 40 years old and I wouldn't take much advise from most of the 50 year olds I come across in my daily life.  They are, for the most part, too far behind the technology curve.  They have a sense of style that is stuck in the 80's.  They have flowery wallpaper in their houses and bisque colored appliances in their kitchens.  Their furniture is big and oak.  Their family rooms are small and their formal dining rooms are huge.  Their basements are dark, dank and dungeon-like.

And these are the people that want to sell homes to first time buyers.  No wonder first time buyers never give their phone numbers out and do all the research themselves.  They don't trust that the 50 something-year-old ladies that answer the phones at real estate offices can relate to what they want. 

They also can't communicate with them.  They want a quick email with links to relevant websites.  They want photos.  They want a text message.  They want lists of properties emailed and they will pick the ones they want to see.  They want help in the process of buying a house, not in the process of picking out a house.  They want to check out 4 or 5 places in a 2 hour period and if they like something they will buy it. 

They don't want to form a bond with the Realtor.  They already have parents.

I am 40 and I can barely relate to Generation-Y.  Baby Boomers might as well be from another planet.

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Comments

[Sharee Thieleman]

I take great offense to your weblog "Realtors are too Old to Relate to First time home buyers - saying a realtor over 50 doesn't know about trends relating to home decor is just ignorant, perhaps a bad realtor would not be up on the latest style and might try to push their personal taste on their client , however an experienced realtor would be well rounded and pick up on the particular style of any client young or old and adapt to the clients preference. A good realtor uses all the modern means of communication and sales tools. I use my IPhone,lap top, website, weblog, in addition to tradition means of communication in order to reach all my clients young and old. I am well versed and knowledgable in the current popular music, sports, cars, and what is hot and whats not on the runways of NY and Paris, I have traveled to every state in our country in addition to 7 foreign countries, I have been the top sales agent in our office for the last 4 years, I could show you stacks of thank you notes and gifts from satisfied customers all of which have been so gracious to send many referrals my way but sorry to say I apparently would not be able to help whoever wrote the stupid article as Im 55 years and running at the front of the pack!!!

[Tony Arko]

Sharee, unfortunately you have taken a generalized statement about realtors that points out the obvious age difference and posits an explanation for the lagging public opinion of the industry as a whole. It in no way suggests that "all realtors" that are older than 50 are unsuccessful dealing with the younger generation of home buyers. Perhaps you took it that way because of some other personal issues you might have. But as a rebuttal to your successful four year run as the top salesperson in Cape Coral Florida, I would say it has more to do with the average age of the resident of Cape Coral being only 9 years your junior and not 24 or 25 years and not your grasp of the technology used by the younger generation. I don't think a lot of tech savvy 20 and 30 somethings are flocking to Cape Coral Florida. And if you think about it, you should be happy that all the other 50 something realtors are so disconnected from the younger generation while you "get it". It should make it much easier for you to continue to lead the pack in Cape Coral.

[Sugar Loaf Real Estate]

I agree somewhat and disagree somewhat. I can see how he is making a point about the age gap but there is always going to be a communication gap whether it be an age gap or any other miss-communication.

[Frank Borges LL0SA- Broker FranklyRealty.com]

Where can I get me a "weblog?"

Frank

[Zarita Senekal]

Check out the article written by Stefan Swanepoel titled "Do Today's Agents Understand Generational Selling?" He also discusses how difficult it is to understand and work with each different generation.

According to his articles the different generations are:
G.I. Generation (1901 – 1924)
Silent Generation (1925 – 1945)
Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964)
Gen X or Baby Busters (1965 – 1976)
Gen Y/Millenials/Echo Boomers (1977 – 1994)

You can find the complete article at
http://www.retrends.com/real_estate_trends_articles.asp?mode=article&articleid=16

[Danilo Bogdanovic]

Frank - Just head on down to the Weblog Store. They're having a one-day sale tomorrow.

[Atlanta New Home]

Frank,

Listen to Danilo's advice, it is GREEEAAATTTT advice!

[Noel Freedman]

Too old to sell? Someone should have warned me 43 years ago. When I entered into real estate I asked a grey-hair old timer what killed off salesmen in this buiness and he said two things: Women and Booze. He also told me to not let the business cause me to become cynical. --I followed the advice; plus the advice of an ancient: "Keep an open mind attached to nothing; be notoffended by what you see, hear, taste, touch or smell."

[P Deans]

You have scared me to death. I am 55 and am wanting to get into Real Estate. Should I stop and pull up my disco pants that is falling off of my Gen X arse. Really, I think if you have trouble with a gen gap then you have more issues that you are not talking about. I have more 30 something calling me asking for advice before they even call their friends. Why you say, experience my dear. Plain ol' experience.