5 Ways To Attract Millennial Homebuyers

Millennial homebuyers are the next biggest market for real estate agents, and they aren’t necessarily looking for the same things as previous generations. Known for challenging the status quo and bucking typical paths through early adulthood, this generation may seem out of reach for long-established agents in the biz. But it isn’t.

Attracting millennial homebuyers will require different tactics, such as using social media platforms like Instagram to meet them where they are, but you can certainly connect with this up-and-coming market. Millennials still place a high value on homeownership, often prioritizing it over other typical life goals. Here are five ways to connect with them.

Create excellent image portfolios

Millennials are attached to their tech and visual media has been on the rise for years. Good images can sell a home in a way that a thorough description never will. To get gen Y interested in your properties, invest the time in professional photography and a video tour of the space. 

Plan to post your visual assets in multiple locations—your site, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest are some examples—and tailor them accordingly so you don’t end up with weirdly cropped images or pixelation because they’re the wrong size. 

Incorporate eco-friendly features

Millennials, more than previous generations, are concerned with climate change and our planet’s future. Just look at the Sunrise movement or their widespread support of the Green New Deal. To speak their language, incorporate eco-friendly appliances and even smart home features into your real estate, and publicize them upfront. 

The most competitive properties will go beyond an upgraded dishwasher to add smart home products that save energy, like smart thermostats and lighting systems or even solar panels. Another bonus to such upgrades is that they add tech to the living space, which is sure to satisfy this tech-hungry generation.

Tout convenient locations

Millennials want shorter commutes, more walkable locations, and proximity to restaurants, but they also want to live in good school districts and access to the fastest routes to get into urban areas if they use cars. They want it all. And while most properties can’t deliver everything, many come with certain location conveniences.

Whatever features the locations of your properties have, be sure to include those in your marketing materials. Consider a map on a property’s landing page that shows nearby businesses and travel time to desirable neighborhoods. Showcase the neighborhood’s landmarks and treasured spots in your photos.

Sell open living space

Gone are the days of the traditional dining room. New homebuyers are interested in open living spaces that offer them flexibility. A study by NAHB called “What Home Buyers Really Want” found that 76% want an open or partially open living-dining area.

You can call a space open, but you need to show this through images. Design the furniture in the space in multiple ways and include each one in the portfolio to help potential buyers see the possibilities. Remember that millennials are coming into homeownership from apartment living, likely having lived in many different places, and know how to get creative with their living spaces. The more you speak to this experience, the more desirable your property will seem.

Embrace fixer-uppers

Millennial homebuyers aren’t committed to the perfect home: 67% would put an offer on a home in need of major repairs. So even if your property isn’t in ideal shape, you can make it appealing to this generation. After all, they’re known as DIYers and love a good garage sale. And with large student loan burdens, millennials might find a more affordable home that requires some loving work to make it their own quite appealing.

If you’re selling a fixer-upper, remember to highlight the features it does have—perhaps a great location or nice surrounding yard. And be honest about the work that needs to be done. Millennials are sensitive to being sold to; an authentic approach is better than a salesy one. 

Above all, remember that this is a tech-native generation. The more you can use technology at every step of the home buying process, from viewing potential properties to submitting paperwork for mortgages, the easier it will be for millennials to engage with your company.