Real estate practitioners no longer market their services to the nuclear family of yesteryear. Today's families can be blended from two sets of parents, and they may include grandparents or grandchildren. They can be composed of non-married partners, same-sex partners, and non-resident partners as well as any other combination you can name. Or, they can be a party of one.
If you are working with buyers, you will run across the singleton sooner or later. In fact, according to the most recent survey by Chicago Title Company, singles made up 32.2 percent of buyers in 1999, rising three percent to 389,400 from 377,900 the previous year.
Singles represent such an important demographic in home buying that you may well want to follow some general guidelines to help you serve them better. To help turn your single customer into a client, keep these points in mind:
One isn't the loneliest number. Singles may be single for a reason. There is a real temptation in our society to question why people of age may not be paired off. You can question your single client about his/her goals for finding a home, but only in that context. Don't assume anything - that your client will marry, or that a certain type of home is preferable. Your single client's reasons for being single are his/her business, and he/she may not appreciate being anticipated.
Singles are just like marrieds, only they aren't. There really shouldn't be any difference in serving singles, but our society does tend to think in terms of couples and families. That means there could be some subtle, and not so subtle, messages that you convey to your single buyer in how you treat him/her, talk to him/her or qualify him/her. In other words, try to be careful not to change the way you conduct business simply because your buyer is single.
Keep your personal values to yourself. If you are chosen as the agent for a singleton or unmarried pair or same-sex pair, and you believe everyone should be married and to partners of the opposite sex, you are going to be constantly disappointed by the decisions that many people make around you. Some people simply choose not to marry and change partners frequently. Some may find partners of the same sex attractive. No one needs a judge, but plenty of folks could use a good real estate agent.
Ask about lifestyle in the same way you would for couples, or families with children or seniors. Don't assume you know what a single person wants based on what you think his/her lifestyle is. The single you might peg as a perfect buyer for a condominium or downtown loft may actually be pining to have a big yard and garden of his/her own. Don't equate singlehood with temporariness. Some people stay single for a long time or forever. So, don't assume the type of property your single client may want.
Some appropriate questions to guide you are: What kind of home are you wanting? Do you want a home with a yard or pool? How would you like to live a typical day in your new home? Do you enjoy cooking and entertaining a lot? Is a big kitchen and party room important to you? Do you need a guest room for out of town company, or perhaps a dedicated in-home office space? Do you have hobbies that require a certain amount of space or special features, such as a well-ventilated room for artwork?
Don't assume the single needs financial help. Don't assume that a buyer can afford or not afford a certain property because he/she is single. Many first-time homebuyers, including couples, are often helped by their parents or other benefactors with a down payment. Money issues are for the lender to ask about, so get your single buyer pre-qualified with a lender as soon as you can. Then you know with certainty that your buyer can indeed afford the properties you show him/her.
Keep transitions in mind. Like any family that is moving, singles may be coming from an apartment into the culture shock of home ownership and responsibilities. Or, they may be uncoupling and getting used to a new life - alone. Offer help where you sense it might be needed. If someone is moving to town for the first time or is a first-time homebuyer, offer a list of resources they can call for repairs, insurance, and other home-related necessities. Remind them to water their foundations in droughts and to run a tap during freezes. For the newly-alone, be sensitive. Find out the interests of your buyer, and compose a list of resources to help them make the transition easier. The widower who wants a sunlit room to set up an easel may appreciate knowing where to buy oil paints in the neighborhood.
Don't play matchmaker for single customers. Your job is to sell the single a home, not find him/her a date. Even if you have your buyer's soul mate in mind and wedded bliss is only a phone call away, restrain yourself from playing matchmaker. Close the sale, then if you absolutely can't stand it, call your single client and ask if he/she would be open to meeting someone. Offer the phone number only, a brief explanation of how you know the other party, then stay out of it and let nature take its course. Never follow up to see how it went. If the fireworks do happen, you'll hear about it soon enough.
If you're male, never take advantage of a single woman. Women hate to be "hit on" by people they would like to trust, and contrary to the belief of some men, coming on to them doesn't make them trust you more. The bets aren't off if your single client comes on to you, either. There is the risk that you may read more into a friendly smile than is actually there. Mixing business and pleasure is potentially dangerous to you, especially if it can be proven by anyone wanting to take you to court, including your client, that you didn't do your job because your judgment was impaired by Cupid. Love and lust are powerful forces. If you know you can't resist, at least try to postpone a clinch until after the closing.
Enjoy the single client. Your job could actually be easier with a single buyer. You only have to show homes to one person instead of two. Who's to disagree if the buyer doesn't like a home? Who's to say no if the singleton falls in love with a certain property?
Remember that singles have hopes, dreams and goals just like married couples; only they are dreams for one. Find out what those dreams are and show your single buyer the appropriate homes to make those dreams come true.
Also See:
Are You Working With the Wrong Kind of Clients?
The Generation X Home Buyer
Are Older Real Estate Pros Losing Out as X'ers Buy From X'ers
Published: February 8, 2000
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