Communication Options

Veteran agents have seen the industry move from being dependent on weekly multiple listing service mailings and phone calls to incorporating databases and text messaging, and many have adapted to those changes. Younger agents, particularly Millennials born after 1980, may have trouble reaching out to older clients who seldom use text messages.

And older agents who have not adapted to smart phones may struggle with these tools and their ubiquitous presence among younger clients. The attachment Millennials feel to their cell phones was captured in Bank of America’s Trends in Consumer Mobility report, which found that 96 percent of respondents in the 18 to 24 age group view their cell phones and other mobile devices as “very important” in their lives.

Smartphones and tablets are also becoming more vital to their daily lives. Telefonica’s Global Millennial Survey revealed that about 83 percent of Millennials consider themselves to be on the cutting edge of technology, and 80 percent said that they own a smartphone. About 60 percent said that they use their mobile device on the day they were surveyed to send text messages.

Cherie Smith Zurek of RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest breaks her customer base down into the younger generation, which prefers texts, a middle generation that communicates mostly through calls and email and older people who prefer face to face contact. A member of the Baby Boomer generation herself, Zurek was an early adapter of personal computers and cell phones. She has since upgraded her office PCs so that her agents can send texts from their machines. Her willingness to try new technology makes it easy for her to keep in touch with clients from multiple generations and to lead by example.

Younger agents, however, often have trouble becoming comfortable with phoning or visiting clients. They may not take the time to cultivate relationships with older clients. Zurek has not worked with many Millennial agents, though her own son worked with her firm for a while and dealt mainly with individuals in the middle and younger generations.

“Some younger agents don’t have patience to be an agent for grandma and grandpa,” Zurek says. “I’m not saying that they’re all like that, but there isn’t a lot of enthusiasm for going to grandma and grandpa’s house to sit down and have coffee. They want to text and may be missing opportunities to grow relationships with older clients.”

The reverse is true for Zurek’s firm, however. She has been very successful reaching out to all generations. Her agents work with clientele of all ages. As soon as a client contacts her and before she knows their age, Zurek asks how they want to keep in touch and follows their lead, whether via phone, text or email.