Homes & Estates Florida Collection December 2016 | Page 7

Setting the Stage for MILLENNIALS By Adrian Bryce Diorio Page #46 We’ve all seen it. Plentiful bowls of fruit, numerous throw blankets, pillows galore, chunky area rugs, fake plants in every corner, cluttered knickknacks and mismatched décor that’s not befitting for any interior. “turnkey” properties. Roger Pettingell, an independent agent from Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Longboat Key, is not surprised by the move-in ready trend. Art of Staging® specializes in eye-catching luxury real estate home staging and redesign, with a focus on marketing to the new generation of real estate buyers: millennials (Gen Y). Millennials are the generation born around 1980 and, on top of being the most educated generation to date, they are redefining luxury. The presentation of your home should appeal to this demographic. Why? “Millennials are looking for easy living,” he says. “They are willing to pay up for a property that is completely done and ready to enjoy. Time is very valuable to them, and they are not typically looking for a project. When they are purchasing a vacation home in Florida, they are much more in and out than the snowbirds we are used to. I think that makes them even less interested in a property that isn’t ready to move into.” With more than 12 million U.S. millennials exceeding six-figure incomes, they are more than likely the potential purchaser of the real estate you are looking to sell. Buyers under 40 years old are the largest group of homebuyers, and wealthy millennials are among the most active players in the luxury real estate market today. John Pinel, an independent agent from Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Winter Park, agrees. Real estate agents from Naples to Miami say this influential group of affluent, tech-savvy buyers value their time and gravitate toward “Time is the most precious commodity today, and millennials put an absolute premium on their time,” he says. “They do not want the hassle, pressure or time commitment that accompany such projects or home renovations.” ColdwellBankerHomes.com | 5 CWBDSTEIV00071322_[F0005-F0007]_MILLENIALS.indd 5 9/28/16 2:28 PM