Helping Seniors Transition: Managing Emotions in Home Sales

As a real estate agent, you're familiar with the big emotions that can come with buying and selling homes. There's the elation of the first-time homebuyer, the excitement of a family selling because they're upgrading to something bigger, and the proud smile of a person who made all of the pieces fall into place to get their dream home. However, real estate agents also have some bittersweet experiences with their clients. Emotions can be mixed when it comes to seniors selling homes. Some of your clients are parting with homes they've lived in for 30, 40, or 50 years. This is where they raised families and made memories while the world outside their door changed in immeasurable ways. While they know that moving is the right decision, they still feel like they are losing something. That's why navigating the emotional aspects of selling senior homes is an important part of your job.

Most of your clients who are looking for homes or trying to attract buyers are probably more than happy to have back-and-forth chats or get updates via email or text. They use "digital" communication as their primary mode of communication for all aspects of life. However, relying on digital communication with your senior clients can come across as cold or informal. 

Picking up the phone goes a long way! When engaging with a client over age 60, prioritize phone calls whenever you need to share updates on the selling process, let them know that you've booked a showing, or talk about offers that have come in. Additionally, the way you handle document sharing for senior clients should look a little different. For most agents, documents are simply sent along in emails that allow their clients to review things on their own time. When managing your senior clients, consider inviting them into your office to read over printed documents with you. This will give you an opportunity to ask if they have any questions or concerns in real time. This wholehearted effort really goes a long way when leaving an impression!

Data shared from AARP shows that 77% of adults 50 and over want to remain in their homes for the long term. That means that the majority of senior clients who come to you for help with selling their homes never imagined they'd be in this spot. The death of a spouse, mounting financial pressure, or the reality that taking care of one's self can be a struggle as the years go on can all force seniors to change plans. For many, that looks like giving up the family home to live with their children, downsizing to a 55+ community, or moving into an assisted living facility. 

Seniors facing difficult realities don't want pity. However, they do want compassion. Real estate agents must balance the emotional struggle of parting with a home with the realities that there's a lot of work to be done to get to the closing table. Gently remind them of timelines and deadlines while still emphasizing the fact that sellers have contractual obligations to get things done by certain dates.

Seniors want to know that you're working as hard as possible to get them the best price for their home. Many are relying on the equity in their home to finance their pivot to a new living situation. The truth is that senior citizens often feel overlooked by society. If you want to make a senior client feel like they are more than "just a commission" to you, consider the following: 

• Ask them about when they bought or built the home they are selling. Many homeowners who have been in homes for decades have interesting stories!
• Spend time talking with them about their next move. Providing suggestions for local senior communities or assisted living communities can help you show that you care about the well-being of your clients past closing day.
• Bring coffee, dessert, or something else that the client likes when you visit the home during the listing process.

Knowing that their home will now become a part of someone else's story can make seniors feel good about selling. As an agent, you can share a little bit about the buyers to help your client start to envision the home's next chapter. For example, your senior seller might enjoy hearing that the new family moving in has several young children. You can also tell them what made the buyer like the house. For instance, telling them that the buyer was attracted to the "warmth" of the home can help your seller to feel confident that the home is going to the right person.

As a real estate agent, you're used to telling clients that "erasing" signs of the current owner is an important part of staging a home. This allows potential buyers to envision themselves in the home. Most sellers are happy to go along with this because they're eager to upgrade to a new home with their families. However, the topic of "erasing" the homeowner is a little more sensitive when it comes to senior sellers. They may take it personally. One way to segue into the topic is to encourage your senior sellers to begin preserving memories. Encourage them to start making a scrapbook of memories in the home or cataloging family photos and mementos in a safe space. This will help them to slowly begin "letting go" without feeling that they are being forced to start getting rid of memories.