If you’ve been born between 1982 and 1996, chances are that you might be referred to as a millennial. A millennial is a term used to describe this generation of people, who currently represent as much as 42% of the current homebuyers in the United States. Every generation is slightly different in terms of their core values, goals, and desires so learning what appeals to millennials is crucial if you want to attract millennial home buyers and secure a great sale on your property. Here are 5 key things that millennials look for in potential home purchases, so that you can make sure that your pad fits the bill.
Sub-Par Property Pictures Won’t Cut it
Millennials are more likely to look at potential purchases online than older generations, and this includes shopping for homes. This means that your photographs are a crucial selling point and must show your home at the very highest standards. Millennials are used to seeing heavily edited social media images, and so they won’t be impressed by poor lighting and out of focus shots. A professional home stager and photographer can be invaluable in getting those all-important property pictures that could mean the difference between getting millennials in the door on viewings or scrolling past.
Market Your Home Online
Millennials are the very first generation to have had access to the internet and, as we know, as more likely to use it to look online at potential purchases. Most real estate marketing now takes place online, so it is important to make sure that your home is on the most popular selling platforms. Digital listings mean that potential millennial buyers can access your property details at any time of the day or night.
Transport is Very Important to Millennials
One survey found that as many as 82% of millennials would prefer a home with a garage and more than half want good access to public transport. If your home meets either of these requirements, make sure that they are clear in your marketing materials. This should include photographs of the garage and the dimensions of the space that is available. If you are close to local transport links, your property listing should state what these are and how close by they are.
Make Your Home as Open-Plan as Possible
Around three-quarters of millennials value open plan style living and would prefer a home that meets these expectations. Being open plan keeps the occupants of the household together even if they are engaged in separate tasks, enables parents to keep an eye on children, and creates a light, airy, and multipurpose space. If your home is an open plan already, be sure to feature this on your marketing materials and use photographs to showcase this element of your property. If your home isn’t a very open plan, you may want to consider what can be done to create the impression that it is.
Make a Feature of Any Home Smart Technologies and Eco-Friendly Adaptations you Have
Millennials are a generation that is very much concerned about the impact that their existence has on the environment. This means that they are more likely to look for properties that have eco-friendly features that help them to minimize their carbon footprint. Examples of eco-friendly home improvements include:
Higher than normal levels of insulation
Better than normal airtightness
Systems that harvest rainwater to reduce consumption
Low-flow taps and showerheads
Solar panels, biomass boilers, and heat pumps that allow you to generate your own energy
Homes built with reclaimed timber
Natural lighting and ventilation
Millennials also look for homes that have smart technologies, since these can reduce your home’s energy consumption with no human involvement. For example, smart thermostats can regulate the temperature inside your home and adjust it so that you aren’t heating your home unnecessarily if you aren’t there. Smart lighting can turn off your lights if you’ve left them on or be programmed to come on at specific times to suit your routine.
If you have any of these features, be sure to make a point of them on your home listing. If you don’t, you may be able to implement some of them at a relatively low cost, and this could make your home more attractive to millennial buyers.
For more advice on attracting millennial buyers, or for any other assistance with selling your home, don’t hesitate to contact our expert real estate team in San Antonio TX.
