Millennials and Their Impact on Multifamily: Doing Business Without Talking

Real estate companies that resist adopting a digital approach will find themselves left behind, trying to speak to prospects but finding that no one is listening.

brian zrimsekMillennials generally expect a digital component to most experiences, whether it’s social planning, paying bills, dating, shopping or work. After all, few Millennials can remember a time before the Internet, and for most of their adult lives, they have only needed to reach into their pocket or purse to access it. But even though we call these pocket devices “smart phones,” for Millennials (and increasingly for older generations as well), the part of this device they use the least is the phone app.

By and large, Millennials don’t want to talk to people. It’s rare that I get a phone call from anyone under 40 years old, both in my personal and professional life, unless that call was scheduled or they’re trying to sell me something. Today, Millennials want to use an app, a mobile website, texting, Snapchat, or any of a multitude of other means to communicate digitally. And who can blame them? You don’t get put on hold or find yourself trapped in a long, unproductive conversation. While waiting for the other party to respond, you can work on other tasks, and there’s typically a complete record of the conversation saved if you need to refer back to it. Texting is simply much more efficient.

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