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Marketing Real Estate to Buyers 50+

This article was published in Builder on-line and writes that 50+ buyer looks for homes online differently than their younger peers.

The mobile phone is the technology of choice for seniors. Once on a Builders website they demand easy navigation of features and especially floorplans. Great news for Builders using VantagePoint 3D. All of your properties are easily viewed in floorplan and dollhouse views on every floor of the home. Also viewing on mobile is the same immersive experience as a tablet or labtop.

Here are their most common behaviors and biggest pet peeves of searching for homes online.

In all, 54% of active adult buyers used mobile devices much or all of the time, and 59% of them went to the web as their first tool to searching for a home. Search engines were the number one leader of traffic to builders’ websites. As for social media, only 1% of the 55+ buyers used it as a resource to search for homes. Instead, social media was used as a tool after to see if others were discussing communities.

When these shoppers go to builders’ websites, they were primarily looking for three things: floorplans (28%), lifestyle (18%), and community features (11%). These buyers are most interested in learning about the floorplans so they can see if the product itself is what they want. Their biggest pet peeve? Not being able to find or being able to read floor plans.

Other important features included the ability to print documents, such as a PDF of floorplans or listing: 62% of all those surveyed who did move printed out documents from a builders’ website.

Specifically for the movers over 55+:

  • 74% wanted easy website navigation
  • 46% used a search bar (which is also helpful for marketing to learn what people are looking for on the website)
  • 54% wanted addresses linked to their mobile maps for easy directions
  • 52% relied on reviews and testimonials
  • 65% wanted the websites to be mobile friendly
  • 78% did not want to fill out an online form; mature buyers would rather be able to click a phone number and talk to someone

 

 

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Jon ShoweMarketing Real Estate to Buyers 50+