In the last few years, I have been working with a lot of older folks. I went ahead and earned the
SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist) designation. What I learned through the courses has been helpful.
There is one thing though that I have observed when looking at real estate marketing aimed at seniors. Much of it is condescending.
It is that tone and attitude that if someone is over 70 or in some cases over 55 they need extra help.
Remedial help when it comes to housing. As if people who have been adults for decades and own a home suddenly can’t make wise housing choices without a lot of help from younger less experienced people.
The senior age group is the largest covering an age span of 30 to 50 years. People who are not seniors are the people who are often the experts in senior housing and in all aspects of aging. I am not exactly sure why that is. It would make more sense for seniors to help younger people navigate housing.
My goal is to serve as a resource in any way that I can without being condescending or without assuming there is a one size fits all housing solution for everyone between the ages of 50 and 100. To do that effectively I need to listen carefully.
Buying or selling real estate is rarely driven by age. It is almost happening because of a life change. Retirement can be that change so can the death of a spouse or a medical condition, the birth of a child, marriage, divorce, or changing jobs.
Most life-changing events can happen at almost any age. There is no age at which a person has to move. There isn’t any age at which a person can no longer make decisions about his or her housing.
