Not Your Average Grandparents: Putting the ‘Boom’ in Baby Boomer Market

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RISMEDIA, Feb. 7, 2008-Every day, 10,000 Baby Boomers celebrate their 60th birthday. This represents an enormous opportunity for brokers and their agents. These 80 million home buyers are the largest, fastest-growing, most affluent group in history.Boomers have redefined aging. They live more vibrant and active lives than past generations, and their needs are diverse. They’re purchasing second homes, moving to get closer to their grandchildren, or to address health concerns. The list goes on and on.

Addressing the needs of senior clients requires different approaches and skill sets, which is why you should consider having at least one Realtor® in your office who has earned an SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) designation. More than 16,000 Realtors have earned this designation, which is recognized by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).

“Everyone wants a piece of the 50-plus market, so you don’t want to get left behind,” says Carol Kairis, managing director, SRES. “They’re not your average grandparents-they are active and on the go. You really want to be able to understand what motivates this growing market and know how to address their needs.”

Earning the Designation
The SRES designation program instructs Realtors on how to lead senior clients through real estate transactions. Earning the designation involves completing the two-day SRES Designation Course and achieving a passing grade on the course exam.

Course topics include:

-Understanding generational demographics

 -Myths and realities of aging

-How Baby Boomers are changing retirement

-Marketing strategies

-Recognizing the implications of tax laws, probate, and estate planning

The Designation Course can be taken online through REALTOR¨ University (www.REALTOR.org/RealtorUniversity) or in a classroom setting available in over 50 states and provinces. A complete course schedule is available at www.coursecalendar.com.

Advantages of the Designation
Networking may be the single best reason to have someone in your office earn the SRES designation. SRES designees join a group of Realtors who comprise one of the fastest-growing networks in the country. Members can post a biography along with their Website and e-mail address on the SRES Council’s online referral database, which is accessible by potential clients and referrals throughout the United States.

SRES members also connect to a nationally advertised brand in the consumer market. Members can personalize a range of SRES marketing materials with their name, logo, and photo, including ads, brochures, press releases, postcards, and online banners. They also receive a customizable HTML newsletter, SRES Marketplace, written specifically for home buyers and sellers within the SRES market.

To learn more about SRES, visit the SRES Council’s website at www.SRES.org. SRES also publishes research on Baby Boomer home-buying and -selling trends in two “Moving Forward: 50 & Beyond” surveys. The Home Buyer Survey profiles today’s senior home-buying trends, demographics, marketing strategies, motivations for relocating, and how Realtors can address this market’s practical needs. The Home Seller Survey discusses demographics, Internet trends, geographic patterns, top-selling points for seniors, motivations for relocating, and marketing strategies. Both publications are available for purchase at the REALTOR.org Store (www.REALTOR.org/store).

Exclusive Discount through Realtor Benefits Program
As a partner in NAR’s Realtor Benefits Program, the SRES Council offers NAR members a 10% discount on the designation course delivered online via REALTOR University.

For more information, call (800) 500-4564 or visit http://sres.org/realtor_benefits.htm and be sure to enter code “SRESNOW” when you check out. 

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