Baby boomers are ready to retire

I'm one of them...I don't know whether I should take the course or just retire!  I wish it could be the latter!

Good for you, Maria!   You are SO right.  The market is definitely moving toward the boomers.   I have a CSA designation (Certified Senior Advisor), which is broader and more general than the SRES, but it has helped me a lot with my business (reverse mortgages).  The SRES will set you apart as someone interested in senior issues.  Please visit my blog for senior issues related to reverse mortgages and real estate.  The reverse mortgage can help a senior purchase a home.  I would be happy to act as a resource for you......Sylvia

I am one of them. It will change the market in ways that will suprise most of us. Let hope that most of us have saved for our retirement.

The whole idea of creating a course to teach agents how to work with seniors I find just a little insulting.

You work with seniors, , boomers,  gen x and gen y The same. Treat everyone with respect and dignty, determine their needs and wants and help fulfill them.

Based on a guesstimate of your age based on your picture, Id advise that you treat me one of the first baby boomers, the same way you would want  another agent to treat your father. and Ill treat you the way I would expect another agent to treat my daughter,

looks like a great course. boomers already have a big hold of the market. lets hope the market rises a good deal by the 2011 selling season and keep the boomers buying.

I have GOT to comment on Ron's post.  He is SO right that every single human being should be treated with respect and dignity.  That is a "given".  And, yes - determining your client's needs and wants is also basic. 

However, each demographic (sorry, I hate to categorize people by demographics, but there ARE commonalities) is different and has its different issues.  Learning about senior issues is very important for ANY professional.  For Realtors and loan people (like me!), we have to be aware of what is important to them, how they think, what their life issues are, what their options are, how do they make decisions, etc.  Seniors ARE different from your twenty somethings......I shoud know....I AM one! 

So don't discourage Maria from being proactive and learning all she can.  Good for her!!  And, Ron, her age shouldn't make a wit of difference and is irrelevant.  Professionalism and goodness are ageless.

Sylvia

I am a boomer and don't know if I will ever retire or will want to.  But I will want to travel more...don't know about the other 72,999,999....maybe they will call you.

Sylvia

A comment to your comment...I think you made my point when you said: 

  And, Ron, her age shouldn't make a wit of difference and is irrelevant.  .

My age shouldnt matter either. and I think the point of the NAR designation and Maria's post is that it does

Thats all I was trying to say and I added that I think a course of study based on the assumption that age does make a difference is flawed

Generalizations can only get you in trouble. Is it true that  white men cant jump or dance, or that all Asians are better students, etc etc. . In my market there is a large Hispanic population. Except for learning how to speak Spanish, is there a course I can take to better capture a share of that market...I think not.  Each individual is different, all that they share is  a common language, And not even that all the time

 Yes there are differences between the various demographics (I find that I am watching the viagra ads closely now, you... maybe not so much) but I was trying to make the point that the differences within each demographic are more important. You need to get to know the individual and their needs. You cant approach each person within a certain demographic in the same way. 

Where I probably went to far in my comment is suggesting that NARs designations are for the most part a waste of time and money....I believe that for myself,,but I shouldnt be preaching that point of view here. If they give you confidence go for it.   Having said that I am investigating  CCIM and ALC designations. The big problem with the CCIM (and I say this with tongue planted firmly in cheek) is that it is a multi year course of study, and I may not have the stamina or I may even be dead before I  complete it ...remember Im old

Enough of my rantings here, Im going to write a blog on Prejudice in the Real Estate Business: Are you guilty? Are your Customers? but first I going to spend some time actually doing my business rather than writing about it

Maria, You already excel in your field and learning everything you can is always beneficial.  I wouldn't hesitate to take the course if I were a realtor, I want to learn as much as I can and believe I will always continue courses that I believe will benefit both my clients and myself.

Let's hope that the retirement objectives of the boomers fuel a renewed interest in real estate purchases!

Maria,

Those boomers retiring should give Florida and several other states, including Southern Nevada, a nice boost in real estate activity. It can be a productive niche market segment to focus on.