The Great Millennial Outreach: Or, How I Stopped Being Sorry, Not Sorry, and Future Proofed My Real Estate Business.

Danielle Gregori says, “Finding the right person to help me find a home is probably going to take longer than actually finding the right home.”

The New York City librarian and author is referring to the chasm between the misconceptions of Real Estate agents she has encountered and the truth about her peers – the Millennial demographic. “I’d probably avoid an older agent unless they were recommended to me by a friend because there’s often a disconnect of expectations.” 

The widening gap between the generations is ages old.  Every generation has lamented over their responsibility to learn how to communicate with younger consumers in order to survive.  While the struggle is real, pretending that this looming inevitability has been dropped from the sky like an unexpected salvo from a foreign enemy is making it appear more formidable than it truly is.

The media’s constant reinforcement that Millennials are an incomprehensible, alien life form, grasping to an over-reaching sense of entitlement fueled by unrealistic demands and expectations is not helping the cause.  It is also proving not to be accurate.

To extend a better understanding of both older generations and Millennials, authors Dr. Regina Latrell and Dr. Karen McGrath collaborated on the book, The Millennial Mindset – with the expressed hope that its publication would foster coexistence without animosity in today’s fast paced globalized world.  What these two Gen-Xers found is that eliminating preconceived notions required identifying the truth about this often-misunderstood generation. 

On WMAC’s literary radio program, The RoundTable from 2016, the authors divulged that their experiences with the Millennial generation vastly differed from the prevailing social propaganda being disseminated so recklessly.

What is often misconstrued as an “entitlement generation,” engorged by arrogance, the Millennial social alignment is closer to their baby boomer parents who adopted the approach of “snow-plow parenting,” the mindset of the parent that their child will be successful, therefore clearing away any obstacle that stands in the way of that success is not only permissible; but essential to that success. 

Dr. Latrell explained further that, in truth, the Millennial generation were not raised to become the embodiment of entitlement but as, “confident, connected, and collaborative committed change agents.”

However, successful marketing for millennials is not simply about grasping what makes the younger generation “tick.”  It requires a vision of the future and a sincere attempt to listen with open-mindedness.  Agents will have to reach Millennials by re-inventing their personal brands as well - more personal.  Strongly clutching outdated marketing strategies will only alienate the future market base.  

Nicholas Sequeria, a thirty-year-old tech guru from Long Island stated, “Thanks to the internet and the constant barrage of advertising, I find myself distrusting marketing campaigns and heavy business orientated pitches.”  For the future market, seeing smiling faces plastered on billboards and benches is not only passé – but sends Millennials the wrong message of market exclusion.

In addition to modern, creative marketing strategies such as a strong social media presence and hands-on digital integration tools, both Danielle and Nicholas expressed the need for an agent they can trust. While market presence is increasing, keep in mind, many Millennials have spent the last decade digging themselves out of student load debt - there are financial limitations to their search. 

Danielle confides she is looking for an agent who, “offers a realistic and honest approach to finding a home,” in an era where the housing market has made many in her peer group feel hopeless – as if the odds were stacked against them.   However, good news is on the horizon.

With the increase in economic stability, Millennials will offer greater financial viability to the real estate market.   This shift, as they take their place as financial leaders, will demand their core values be moved from the outliers of society and become the new norm for future generations.