Finding ways to market your adult community is key to keeping vacant units to a minimum. Your strategies depend on your market because adult communities range from those that cater to people 55 years of age or older who do not have children to facilities for senior citizens who need to move out of their home and into a more structured setting. Your mix of marketing strategies should result in establishing relationships with seniors who need to move immediately as well as those considering living there months down the road.
Know Your Target Markets
Persuading older adults or senior citizens to move into your community might require focusing on more than one target market. The obvious residents, adults older than 55, might be your primary target market. But you need to think about the people who influence those who buy into adult communities, such as the adult children who’ve decided it may be in the best interests of their parents to make the move.
Choose the Targeted Community Wisely
A big obstacle you face comes from competing adult communities that attract the same buyers you do. Finding ways to differentiate your community from your competitors requires researching the amenities they offer, their pricing plan and the level of service they provide, such as transportation to medical facilities and access to shopping areas. Besides differentiating your community with different activities and features, consider offering a service to potential residents to help them sell their current home so it’s easier for them to move into your community.
Using Seasonal Offer Messages
Stress the benefits of living in your adult community, such as easy access to the range of social activities you provide or no need for cooking because of the dining facility available on-site. While these benefits appeal to seniors, also mention features that make the adult children excited about helping their parent move to your community, such as the medical facilities located nearby or the safety measures the community offers. For active adult communities, the lack of children running around and making noise may represent a big benefit to prospective buyers.
Promote Your Content
Look for ways to help adult children talk to their parents about moving to the community. Offer a free guide on your website about talking to parents about the big move. This gives you a way to help develop trust and build a relationship with your market. Minimizing entrance fees for a few months while new residents get moved in and sell their home offers another way to promote your facility and make it easier for people to buy in. If your community is located in a vacation hotspot, offer stay-and-play packages that allow prospective buyers to buy a few nights in the model home to get a feel for the community.