Tracking the Trending

The latest issue of REALTOR magazine touched on “What’s Trending in Real Estate” and a couple of the items really struck home. 

First, the stats showing which generations are buying the most homes:  turns out Generation X, the folks from 33 to 47, are now the largest group of home buyers according to the latest data, at 31 percent.  Probably not a huge surprise, since folks in that age range are those most likely to be changing jobs or getting promotions or adding to their families, those life changes that most often spur a change in one’s housing.  But the next largest age group of buyers is Generation Y, those 32 or younger, at 28 percent, not that far behind.  Younger baby boomers (born between 1955 and 1964) came in at 18 percent and older boomers (born between 1946 and 1954) at 14 percent.  One of the more startling items in the study is that younger buyers also tend to use the same agent for repeat services at a far higher rate than older groups, something worth keeping in mind!  The complete details are covered in an NAR study you can find through a link under the Resources area on The Coach’s Playbook blog just to the left.

The other trend noted in the REALTOR article that struck me was the move toward paperless business.  Given the shift toward younger buyers, that paperless trend shouldn’t be surprising, and it will become even more crucial in the future.  Some of the elements of paperless operations are still fairly new and bring with them their own trials, of course, but Apps like Fusion, Zipforms, Digital Ink or Docusign, and Evernote, all of which work on—and sync between—your laptop AND your iPad/Android, seem to be the tools of the future, especially given those generational trends.

As you consider your business planning for 2014 and beyond, are you making certain your marketing targets and your paperless business tools are up to date—and that you’re comfortable integrating them consistently—so you can maintain and grow your business and not be left behind?  Your coach will be there to help you assess your tools and capabilities, and to chart a course toward integrating those elements so you can make more money per hour!

David M. Hassler

Director of Coaching