A recent survey of people age 50 and older revealed that their attitudes about real estate are changing and contradicting some long-held assumptions.
For starters, the survey by ERA Real Estate, a global leader in the residential real estate industry, found that today's seniors are becoming more and more comfortable with technology. Sweeping aside the notion that older Americans are less enthusiastic about the Internet, the survey found that browsing the Web was the most popular method for home-buying research among seniors who are planning to move within five years.
Another common misconception about aging homeowners is that most plan to move to an "active adult" community. However, the survey of more than 1,500 people revealed that only 8 percent of those thinking about moving within the next five years would consider buying a home in an adult community. More than 61 percent would prefer to buy a single-family home instead.
"Housing needs are not the same for a person who is 55 as they are for a person who is 65," said Brenda W. Casserly, president and COO of ERA Franchise Systems Inc. "Make sure your broker understands and appreciates your unique situation and can help you get exactly what you want, whether it's a smaller home, a vacation house or a condo in an active adult community."
To help meet the needs of mature homebuyers and sellers, ERA has developed a program called ERA New Thresholds. The program was among the first of its kind to comprehensively target the home-buying and selling needs of the mature market.
ERA also has been an industry leader in educating its national network of real estate professionals to the specific needs and interests of this age group.
Many ERA brokers and sales associates - in cooperation with the Senior Advantage Real Estate Council, an industry organization formed to focus on senior concerns - have obtained the Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation. ERA has countless senior specialists who have completed its online SRES course.
In addition, ERA Real Estate offices have a variety of materials available expressly for mature consumers. For more information, visit www.era.com. -NU |
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