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Your next potential client, soon to arrive...

There’s a group of extremely bright and tech-savvy young people coming up in the world that will be first time homebuyers in the very near future. Will you be ready for them?

Your next potential client, soon to arrive, will in all likelihood be a young person in their 20’s. They grew up with technology, and they have some rather sophisticated expectations about anyone they will work with.

Will you know how to work with them? Will you know how to talk to them?

Shannon Fabre, Best Buy Geek Squad

My daughter (#2) will be 22 this month. She’s going to college, lives on her own, and one of the many things she does is work in the Geek Squad at Best Buy. I call her today’s normal. She didn’t go to school for computers or technology, it was just part of her everyday ‘normal’ upbringing.

Shannon doesn’t remember a time when there wasn’t a computer or the internet around. She had her own PC, as did her brother and sister, from a very early age. When she was in high school they did their social studies, math, science, history, and English assignments using word, excel, power point, etc.

She’s always had a fascination for computers and exploring the net. She has a wide spectrum of interests and a deep passion for music, theater, and acting. Shannon doesn’t look at technology like its something extraordinary or outside her realm. It just is, and her attitude cracks me up because it’s so, “doesn’t everybody know this stuff?”

Shannon still has some school to go and like most students is somewhat starving, but not for long. She attends investment seminars and is busy formulating her strategies to meet her goals. One of which is to own real estate.

She does her homework when she wants something and knows how and where to get the answers. She’ll check you out very thoroughly and make choices as to whom she will use to represent her with great scrutiny.

Shannon Fabre, Geek Squad

Like a lot of young people today; when she moved back up to Washington from Southern California last year, she handled almost everything online except driving the car. She’s a good judge of character. You can’t BS your way around her and go for a close. She wants to see your value, judge your character, check your motives and will discuss these things with her friends.

Shannon is not bashful; she’s a better negotiator than I am, and a stickler for detail.

Her preferred method of communication is texting then email then maybe Facebook (that is if you’ve made your way into her circle of friends).

She’s an awesome daughter and it’s probably very obvious that I am a proud father. Yet, I say this because she and all of her friends are very much alike in this certain way. They’re smart, hip, investigative, transparent, authentic, street smart, and a little shy at first until they develop some trust for you. They expect you to be honest and know what you’re talking about. They won’t tolerate any pushy sales tactics. You'll have to earn their trust and their business.

They are, “Your next potential client, soon to arrive.”

Posted by René Fabre - Social Media Marketing on 08/10/2009 09:28 PM

Comments (49)

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49 Comments on Your next potential client, soon to arrive...

AUG

Rene, I've had these clients for several years now and I LOVE IT!! I've stayed up on technology and can pretty much go toe to toe with them. There is one exception. I just don't like to text but if necessary I can.

By the way Shannon sounds like a daughter to be rightfully proud of.

Rene...

I think that you hit the nail on the head ... but in fairness, we DID invent the things!

I agree. We must keep up with technology to be in the running for Shannon's business!

Rene~ Obviously you are so proud of Shannon, and rightfully so! I have learned to master a lot of technology skills in the last two years, and I am so glad I did. I can remember when I hated texting, now I prefer it! Email and Facebook are just a part of my life now and I actually enjoy it. Two years ago, I despised it because it was so foreign to me. Now it is like second nature.

It's a new and different culture. When you finally figure out something, there's another new gadget or system that needs be be learned. I'm grateful whenever I learn something new but am a little reticent that the older gadgets are quickly obsolete. Oh well, bring it on kids. This grandma will try to learn it all!

Marchel: Indeed, I am proud of all my kids, 3 daughters, 1 son... this blog post could have been about anyone of them... I text, but it is not my preferred method. I'll go for the phone call.

AUG

Richard: Yes my friend, and I am proud we did... These are great kids and we (out of the maze) created a great path to follow... we are fortunate...

Sharon: Yes we do, and for her friends to!

Vickie: Funny how that happens, isn't it? I've had my share of resistance to some apps that are now my favorites.

Leolinda: Agreed, bring it on!

Real estate is changing quickly as are buyers and sellers. They know more than they did 15 years ago about the process and that is because of the internet and heck even Activerain in the last two years has made real estate pretty much and open book to the consumer. I think the change is good and I do love the e-mail and text only clients, they are quick to respond and are very precise in their answers.

Todd Clark - www.LivingBeaverton.com

Rene - sounds like a great kid! It is amazing how things have changed for our children. We had a TRS-80 when I was in high school and I was the only one in my class with a home computer. We were high-tech and played pong and wrote short programs in Basic. In the home my daughter is growing up in, we have 4 computers, 2 i-pods, and frequently communicate by email and text messages. I can't even imagine where things will be when she grows up and has children :)

Kevin & Monica: So true... we were cracking up the other day. I had a Commodore 64 in college. That was their first computer. They could load up their own games (using floppies) when they were 4 or 5.

AUG

Watching my own daughter navigate webpages, iTunes, and her cell phone, reminds me that this generation is already dialed in to all things 'tech.' Get on board everybody. Thx Rene!

- Julie / www.rrnetwork.com

Todd: Yes, the change is good... ex: I heard a few great conversations the last couple of days about the new cell phone etiquette. It's now good manners not to leave a voice mail unless necessary. If you're just calling to say hello, what's up?... don't leave a message, they'll see you called and call you back.

Julie: Indeed, the train left the station... jump on board!

But will she turn to one of her contemporaries or will she seek someone older, with more experience, even if they're not as tech savy as she is?

The real question is how will someone working at Geek Squad ever be able to afford to buy a home?

Young, college educated and tech saavy!!! I am an e-PRO Trainer and recently I was teaching a class to a group of realtors and I was asked "Why do I need this?" I said your competition is "yourng, college educated and from Dell. One of my students thanked me at the end of the class, and handed me his business card. On the back of his card he wrote, "Young, college educated and from Dell."

Not only will your daughter be part of the next wave of potential clients, but there are a whole group of hungry and tech saavy agents ready to meet her needs.

AUG

My youngest sister is 23 and it is definitely a new ball game! They have done their homework and know almost everything about you (as an agent) before they meet with you... its amazing.

Working at the Geek squad is really more of an in-between! Tech-savvy people can get higher paying jobs over people who don't understand the technology. The same is true for Realtors! The agents who understand tech. will soar, while those who refuse to adapt will be left behind.

That is true in any business: look at Microsoft! They were late to the search engine game (Live search was almost a joke), and even if 'Bing' is better than Google as some insist, they are so late to the game they won't catch as much market share as they may hope, unless... if Google starts to fall behind in tech, Bing could gain ground. It's all about knowing your market and keeping up with it!

What a great topic! I can't wait. These are the kinds of potential clients that make my job easier. Give me a tach savvy buyer (or seller) who's done their homework and I end up answering less questions, showing less properties and efficiently communicating with my client in the 21st century. Gone are the clients who don't have a computer, don't have a fax machine and prefer information mailed to them. Bring on the new generation!

Rene - What a great profile of your daughter - and the client of tomorrow. I totally agree that its up to us to adapt but let's not forget that there ARE still folks for whom this kind of technology is not second nature. (older, generally sellers not buyers, perhaps moving to retirement facilities) and we need to be able to adjust to their preferred method of communication too, including phone calls and personal visits.

We have to be able to do it all,

Michael

René,

Your profile of Shannon will help us all with today's younger buyers. I envy those in Washington who benefit from her Geek help!

You have EVERY right to be a very proud papa!

Great discussion Rene. I agree with it all except for one thing. It's not the client of tomorrow - THEY'RE HEEEEEEERRRE

Information Technology apps have been around since the late 1980s - really started to hit their stride in the early 90s - took off like an Atlas Rocket in the mid and late 1990s - and moved into warp drive in the last 6 or 7 years.

So there are several different groups of people in this context.

1. People 60 and older who saw the advance of IT begin in their 40s and needed to adapt to it for their jobs. They adapted (some reluctantly) as G1 Fax, gave way to G2, G3, and then email took over. Using the Internet was something they had to learn when their companies first built pointless websites in the late 90s - simply because they had to. These folks, today, are very comfortable with e-mail and probably can surf the net with ease. They may prefer Realtors who work the "old fashioned" way because home buying and selling is something that takes place only several times during their life - and they "liked" the last time they did it and would like their Realtor to work the way they did 15 years ago.

2. People 60 and older who had a job that didn't really require any constant level of communication with others, they only saw the techie stuff evolve as their kids demanded a home computer and a gaming system. These folks may only use e-mail to communicate with their kids who live remotely. They may or may not have cell phones- and if they do, they may only turn them on when they need to make an 'important" call. They need a Realtor who will work their way

3. People 40 -59. They experienced the growth of technology from the time they were 20 - 40. which are prime "working" years. They are e-mail masters and are great web users, many had PDAs, then first gen cell phones and now have smart phones. They do txt but aren't great at it. They are all over Facebook, as they try to reconnect with HS and college friends. Many of them use Twitter. In fact, contrary to popular belief, the biggest demographic of Twitter users are aged 25 - 54 (teens haven't jumped on the Twitter wagon all that much), so this group fits right into it. They need a Realtor who is better than they are, tech-wise. They may not know of all the latest apps, but are ready and willing to be impressed with someone who can show them new "cool" things

4. People 25 - 39. Think about it.. Someone who is 28 years old (a prime home buying prospect), does not remember when they had no Nintendo, a PC, Chat Rooms, The Internet, email, AOL, IMs etc. There folks aren't quite as tech savvy as our current teenagers but are only a little behind. Like group 3, above, they may not know all the latest tech apps, but once you show them, they will likely master them very quickly and be better than the person who taught it to them. These are the clients who, will not be overly impressed with a Realtor who says "I don't to txt msgs" or, one who gives a phone call saying "I have some info for you, I won't be at my computer until tonight so I'll email it to you then." They expect their Realtor to be at their level of technology and communicate with blinding speed.

So,,,, and this has nothing to do with the age of the Realtor -- if you don't know the latest and greatest technology and you are unwilling to learn it and master it, your future business is limited to groups 1 and 2 and maybe part of three.

You may have clients in group three who are past, loyal clients who will work with you even though you aren't as tech savvy as them - these folks know you and know you're a great Realtor. But the referrals you get from this group will likely be to people who don't know you and aren't loyal and there is no lock that they'll choose you to work with unless you can give them what they need. It's fine for now - but the time is imminent (2 -3 years) when the Realtor who focuses strictly on clients who aren't tech savvy, will see their businesses shrink a bit - and a few years after that, it will decline rapidly.

It's not too late - yet.

As the world changes so must we!

I don't want to be left behind so I'm forced to keep up with new tecnology, a new world.

Patricia Aulson/portsmouth nh

My daughter is almost the same age. You could have been describing her to a T. I find that I can text with these folks in regards to real estate. It amazes me how many "older" agents are missing the boat on this!

It is estimated that the average age of a buyer is 28 so they are already here. I have renters in a short sale house that I have to contact to give notice. They NEVER respond to phone calls, but text gets back to me in minutes. I like it that way too.

Hi Rene -- You have described my daughter as well, a bit younger, but she is so tech savvy. You hit the nail on the head.

Rene - A majority of my clients now are tech savvy, but I think the generation coming will be even more tech savvy. As you mentioned they've grown up with this, it seems to be instinct for most of them. I'm pretty sure my 10 year old son knows more about computers and cell phones than I do.

Great post Rene and I agree wholeheartedly, although we are seeing some of those already.

Youngbuyers are awesome and so much fun. You are so right about them wanting it "straight" and beingreal with them! They look you right in the eyes when they ask questions and they want to know if you can keep up with them in technology. They love it when I open the key box with my BB. That's something they usually have not have seen before. (good start) They want me to text them more than a call and only call if something is really necessary to talk over. Thankfully, I have kept up as most on AR have.

I have connected with a lot of people that were in the youth group at the church I volunteered at. All of those "kids" are now getting married, buying their first home, and having families. Man, I'm getting old!

Rene: Good point. I always ask my potential client how they like to communicate. That should be the way we stay in touch with them. Thanks for the post!

Congrats on the feature :) Nice work!

Lorrie: Good point... I would say, she'll pick the agent she thinks will do the best job for her. But, how and where will she find them?

Andrew: Yes, that's true... but she's still a student.

Carol: That's a great line, I'll have to use that. I am meeting young agents everyday that really shine. They're smart and contemporary, and fun to work with.

Kerry: Yes, and it comes natural to them.

Dustin: The Geek squad is her college gig... You make a good point about Microsoft. You can lead the way, but if know body is following, you're just out for a walk.

Douglas: Yes... I work with more and more agents that say exactly what you are saying.

Michael: Agreed. It's never just one way, is it.

Irene: I hope so. I think we get stuck in the moment sometimes and forget to look ahead to see what's coming...

I completely agree that the current 20-somethings are extremely tech savvy. I think the vastly increased integration of technology means a lot of changes for the residential real estate agent. As a new REALTOR, I'm very concerned that we are allowing technology to make our job obsolete. Most of the traditional REALTOR-only activities are now freely accessible online. With online tours, one can even "walk through" a house and I believe many in the younger tech-savy generation are very comfortable with that. There is nothing stopping the few remaining tasks from being put online, so that a real estate transaction could be completed from start to finish completely through the use of automated technology. What, if anything, do you feel we have left that cannot be taken over by technology? And more importantly, how do you get that across to potential clients who see you as nothing more than a "middle man" out to collect a "fat" commission check?

Rene,

You are right on the money with this one. These are the clients that force you to be savvy in communications.

Brian

Rick: dang, nice blog! You should post it... I think you're spot on. I was in a conversation the other day with a broker... Story goes like this, I sold the grandparents their home, I sold the kids their home, I interviewed the other day with the grandkids about their home and I don't know if I got the listing. One of the first questions they asked me was, "What do you do on the web to sell listings?" They're interviewing a couple of other brokers.

Patricia: Indeed, another day in the Olympics!

Bob: Too funny... and yes about some older agents. I realize its a big jump, but we have to cater to the crowd that's in the room. Life has changed a lot and really fast. That's just the way it is. So go for it!

Joe: YES, that is the way of it isn't... And, I agree about average age of buyers now at 28. They're here and my daughter is only a couple of years away.

Chris: thanks... I know, there are those of us with kids around that age and share an insight, "wow" how about these tech savvy kids!... (ha ha).

Michelle: Yes they will... and to them, it will be a very natural thing.

Dave: Agreed, they are here already...

David: Good for you... I think it's not so much about all the techy things you can do, but more about your attitude about it, and your willingness to embrace it. Your comments sum up a lot of my conversations with my clients lately.

Darrell: Yes... seems like that somedays... but keep going!!!

Paul: thanks for stopping by... I think that's a very important part of today's etiquitte, ask the question: "How would you like me to communicate with you?" Thanks...

Kevin & Monica: Thanks... Suprized me when I checked in this morning... I wasn't expecting that!

Steve: I grapple with that sometimes too, but I've come to the conclusion that the more tech savvy our clients are, the more they are going to need a very great and SAVVY realtor...

Brian: Yes, and what I think is cool is... they are really willing to give you a chance if your position is: we're in this together, and I know what I know... you don't fake it or have some attitude about it.

I seem to get a lot of the younger buyers and they usually are easier to work with than older buyers, simply because they understand technology and are willing to work with it.

Damon: Agreed, I am hearing that a lot lately.

I have always embraced technology--and love texting clients when we're in the middle of a deal, especially. It is a great way to communicate.

Hi René !

Great point, and great spotlight on your daughter !

I text my clients more than ever now, and all faxes are scanned and emailed to easier filing.

I couldnt live without my GPS, and dont even get me started in my BlackBerry !

It's the age we're in, and it aint leavin' !!!!!

Those who dont embrace technological advancements, and learn how to communicate with the current day consumer, will miss out on a lot of opportunities moving forward.

Congrats on the feature too René !

Cheers !

Sheldon :o)

Sheldon: thanks for stopping by! Yes, it is the age we're in and I like it here and will excel to do my very best.

I find that the clients a little older than your daughter are very similar to your description of your daughter. It also seem that those a fair amount older demand almost the same thing, and that we need to be technologically savvy to satisfy our clients.

AUG

I love this - selfishly. I am the youngest person in my brokerage and sadly, I'm 38. I have a 13 year old son I am grooming for the business. I am not sure why there are not a bunch of young real estate professionals in my area, but the agents in my office are NOT adapting to the changes in the market.

The dynamic that the younger generations are bringing are insurmountable from the agents perspectives. So they are getting doubly behind because they can't even keep pace with today's technology.

I see a definitive thinning of the real estate professionals herd because the older agents would rather retire than adapt to market changes.

Christine: I think most of us are scrambling to get a savvy as we possibly can. No matter how technical we may have been in the past, we didn't realize how profound the impact would be socially.

Christianne: I wish them well, but I have to agree with you. I think we are going to see a big change in the demographic that is a real estate career.

AUG

Hi Ren'e,

I enjoyed reading your post. It looks like you have done a nice job with your children!. I can relate to young daughters and only hope she will make good decisions. Have a great day.

Sandy: I hope so!... They're great kids, and now it's Dad who's scrambling to keep up!

AUG

Rene', that is great that your daughter is so savvy! That will help her with business as she gets older.

AUG

I have to admit if I were still in the business of selling real estate I would have to change my mindset on how to communicate with clients. Selling and marketing really have never changed, but how we interact certainly has.

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