A discretionary 55+ buyer requires a different marketing approach than a conventional homebuyer. A marketing strategy that reflects second-half-of-life values, unique purchase motivations, and respect for life experience is necessary. Following a prior article that outlined community and land planning tips for successful 55+ active adult communities, this piece turns the focus to marketing.

These buyers want to explore and experience the community, lifestyle, and homes on their terms. This often means a more extended, multiple-visit customer journey. Authenticity and transparency are non-negotiables when dealing with new-home Baby Boom consumers.

Here are 10 experience-proven and data-supported tips for luring 55+ active adult Baby Boom era consumers to new homes in your communities:     

1. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Unlike conventional homebuyers, there are rarely push factors on the discretionary active adult new-home consumer. This impacts everything from advertising to CRM strategy, sales office/welcome center design, sales associate follow-up, and your marketing plan and budget.  
2. Know your customer.  Consumer research is foundational to everything you do.  You can’t speak to your customer effectively if you don’t know where they are currently living, the context of their life, and what is in both their hearts and their minds. Reflect your customer’s aspirations and figure out the answer to ‘What’s next?’  Most often these buyers are selling their family home and ‘right-sizing’ with a move to your community.
3. Take an ageless approach. Speak to the psychographic, not the demographic. It’s not about aging, it’s about values and desires. Check your ageist perceptions at the door! Ageist stereotypes are a death knell for your marketing efforts. And, unfortunately, it’s a major blind spot that can be prevalent in your executive boardroom, your sales team, and your advertising agencies. Be sure to  educate everyone involved in the customer journey with your consumer insights.
4. Get ahead of lead generation. It’s never too early to start building anticipation around your 55+ community with ‘Coming soon!’ promotions or interest lists. It’s possible to stall this buyer from purchasing from your competitors while they wait for what your exciting community has to offer.  
5. Leverage your brand. Take advantage of and celebrate your experience to help differentiate your community and build trust and credibility. This might be your first active adult community, but it’s not your first rodeo!
6. Lead nurturing is critical. Building relationships with potential 55+ buyers is key to pulling the customer down the sales funnel. While the transaction is a home on a lot, it ultimately hinges on so much more including the amenities, lifestyle, and connecting with others who have similar interests, values, and desires. 
7. Be real and be clear. Authenticity and transparency are non-negotiables with this buyer group, which is the most experienced, educated, and wealthy generation to ever pass through this stage in life. A couple of examples where this helps with marketing: Use actual residents in your community’s professional photography and ensure the community’s website includes an FAQ section. 
8. Experiential marketing is crucial. As we age, experiences matter more than ever and impact purchase decisions, which is why experiential marketing is key to a successful 55+ community marketing plan. On average, prospects will visit a new-home community six times before they make the choice to buy. With social connections at the top of the list of purchase motivations, these buyers want to experience life in the community. Do they like the residents? Are there activities they are interested in? Some ways to engage these buyers include a monthly happy hour for residents that sales associates can invite prospects to or a ‘stay and play’ program offering a day pass or an overnight stay. Before sales begin and the community is under construction, invite your leads to mingle with future neighbors, build a ‘fear of missing out,’ and start talking to real buyers. Showcase the community's location and the town's lifestyle with something like a trail walk with a picnic or a wine tasting at a nearby restaurant. Recruit resident ambassadors and focus on good resident relations from day one. Remember: Happy residents are your best sales tool.  
9. Take cues from the hospitality sector. The most effective on-site sales office and model home experience is hospitality-inspired. Information is easily accessed on demand, and the customer feels as though they are in control of the process. 
10. Lights, camera, model. Model home merchandising is an opportunity to reflect the aspirational lifestyle of your boomer consumer and connect it to your community and your location. Think of your models like a movie set—prospective 55+ buyers are able to step into the home and envision what it would be like to live within your community.