The Westfield luxury real estate market started the year off with a flurry of activity. Whisperings of interest rate hikes could influence more buyers to look for homes earlier in the year. So, putting your Westfield home on the market now could be more profitable than waiting. But today’s buyers differ from those of yesterday. Marketing your Westfield home in 2018 means catering to specific types of buyers and their tastes.
Marketing Your Westfield Home in 2018
Showcase Your Home’s “Smart” Features
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Most of today’s buyers search out “smart homes”. When marketing your Westfield home in 2018, you should showcase any “smart” features you have. Do you utilize an Amazon Echo (“Alexa”) or Google Home system (“Hey, Google.”)? Good. If not, you might want to invest in one. Buyers want to know that your home is easily compatible with these systems. Smart security systems like Nest, Netgear Arlo, and ADT Pulse put traditional monitoring services out of date. If they’re already installed, buyers take notice.
Other great features include smart thermostats like the Ecobee4, Nest Learning, and Hisense. For the exterior of your Westfield home, PC Magazine named Rachio’s Smart Sprinkler Controller Generation 2 its top pick for smart sprinkler systems. It monitors the moisture level in your lawn and will schedule your sprinklers to turn on accordingly. Your sprinkler system will never again go off while it’s raining.
Millennials
The tide has turned in recent years. Millennials now represent the majority of the buyers out on the market. They want homes with eco-friendly features (i.e., newer “EnergyStar” appliances, tankless water heaters, solar panels, etc.). “Smart homes” top their list as well. And more and more are flocking to suburban areas as they turn from twenty-something singles into thirty-something families.
Baby Boomers
Of course, you can’t forget the Baby Boomers when marketing your Westfield home in 2018 either. They’re either retired or getting ready to retire. They also make up the second largest group of home buyers. Houses featuring master bedrooms on the main floor appeal to the aging crowd. Additionally, they look for “no-step” entries, larger showers with “no-step” entries, wood floors (easier for wheelchair or walker users to navigate), and slightly taller than normal toilets. These make aging in place much easier and make your home more attractive to Baby Boomers.
Even if your home doesn’t currently offer some of these features, it would be worth the investment to add them before you start marketing your Westfield home in 2018. This opens your property up to a much wider variety of buyers. That brings more traffic to your front door. With more traffic comes a better chance at finder a buyer in a short period of time. When you’re ready to list your Westfield home, contact me.
Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes