When you’re selling your home, it’s important to remember your target audience, and studies suggest that the average home buyer isn’t who it used to be. Millennials and Gen Yers made up about 34% of home buyers in 2017, a number that’s only expected to rise.
Focusing on a target market of first-time buyers can help you sell your home more quickly and get a better offer. Here are just a few ways you can help new buyers find and fall in love with your home faster.
1. Focus On Efficiency
Today’s buyers are looking for energy efficiency in their homes for a number of reasons. While some are looking purely for environmentalist reasons, others are interested due to the utility savings.
Regardless of the reason, look to include energy-efficient features in your home, especially on the structural level like in insulation and roofing. A metal roof can easily help save as much as 25% off of your annual home energy bill, so if you’ve already got one, focus on that selling point.
2. Keep It Simple
Buying a home for the first time can be incredibly intimidating, especially for buyers who grew up during the most recent financial crisis. When you’re interacting with these potential buyers, make the process as simple as possible from start to finish.
The less they have to stress about, the more likely it is they’ll be inclined to give you a good offer faster. Work directly with their real estate agent, if they have one; this will keep the buyers themselves from having to worry about the process.
3. Universal Design
Staging your home properly can make the difference between getting no offers and having people competing for your home. Make your space look like one a small family would love to live in with comfortable furniture, decor, and so on. Keep your color palette in mind as well, and repaint your walls if necessary.
More than one-third of respondents in a 2017 Interior Design Trends survey said they would choose a neutral color palette when redecorating their home. It might seem like an unnecessary expense, but the color of your walls can dramatically change your home’s overall look, and might even push people to buy.
4. Get Online
The main difference between today’s generation of buyers compared to previous generations is the presence of technology. The internet has made home shopping simpler and faster than ever, and has become one of the primary ways people look for real estate.
In order to sell to a more tech-savvy generation of buyers, you’ll need to get your home’s listing up online as soon as possible. Post professionally shot pictures as part of your listing, or even feature a video walkthrough. This will give you the best chance possible for getting a lead online.
Today’s real estate market is changing, and you’ll need to adjust your tactics to keep up and make the most of the market of first-time buyers. Keep the needs of these buyers in mind and you’ll have an offer on your home in no time.