If you want to do business with senior citizens, avoid making assumptions about them.
Instead of making assumptions, talk to senior citizens the same way you would talk to any other prospect.
Don’t assume that you know what they want or need, and don’t EVER call an 80-year-old “honey” or “dear” unless you address everyone that way.
Learn why they want to buy or sell. Ask about their goals – and determine how you can help them achieve those goals.
Senior citizens are just as individual as people in any other age group. If you ignore that fact, you’ll lose their business.
NAR has courses for dealing with folks who are “over 50.” But to think everyone who has attained the half century mark is alike is simply stupid.
While there are 65 year-olds who are in poor health, unable to do things for themselves, etc. others are just getting ready to go have a good time. They want to sell out, buy a motor home, and hit the road. Or they want to buy a place in the country where they can have a horse, a cow, or a garden.
Others want to ditch the house with all the upkeep, move into a condo, and spend their time traveling or pursuing hobbies – like dancing or kick boxing.
Some are going to work every day and have no intention of stopping soon.
Even when your clients are in their 80’s or 90’s it’s best not to assume that they want to go sit somewhere and have people take care of them.
I know an 88 year old gentleman who tends his cattle, mows his lawn, and rides his 4-wheeler down the road each evening to discuss politics and have a whiskey with a neighbor.
My Senior Relocation Prospecting Letters make no assumptions…
Because every senior is an individual, when I wrote my set of 6 prospecting letters for senior relocation, I mentioned the reasons why they might decide to sell, then focused on how you can help them deal with the reasons why they might be reluctant to sell.
What are those reasons? If they’ve lived in their current home for many years, one reason is dreading the idea of moving, packing, or disposing of a lifetime’s worth of accumulated “stuff.”
Another is examining the financial consequences of a sale.
My prospecting letters offer to put them in touch with people who can help with those tasks. And I firmly believe that if you are going to serve senior clients, you need to have some of those experts on your resources list.
You might also want to have a list of quality assisted living facilities – but don’t offer it unless you’re asked.
Senior citizens are no different from any other age group – each individual person has their own individual reason for wanting to buy or sell.
If you respect that and don’t make assumptions, you’ll do well.
~~~
Before becoming a real estate copywriter, Marte Cliff spent nearly two decades selling real estate—first as an agent and then as an owner/broker. Her company was the sixth agency to open in a small North Idaho town, yet within a little over a year, through outstanding service and focused marketing, it grew to control more than half of the local market.
Today Marte helps real estate agents across the country attract the clients who are the best fit for their business through professionally written bios, prospecting letters, and practical marketing advice based on real-world experience.
Learn more about Marte’s custom real estate agent bios and prospecting letter collections.
AI can generate words.
Marte’s job is to discover what makes you worth remembering –
then write about that.
