A few years ago, my 87-year-old parents decided that it was time to downsize and move closer to family, and there were a lot of discussions about where to live and what type of community they wanted to live in. They chose a senior living community close to my youngest sister, and we have all agreed that it was one of the wisest decisions they could have made. They have new friends with whom they dine and do different activities, and even though at 93, they still say they “don’t want to live with old people,” moving to a senior living community was the right choice for everyone. Today’s seniors are healthier and wealthier, and they will have the opportunity to live long, full lives.
Visiting senior living communities and learning about what is available and the costs for a community like theirs has really stepped up my interest in manufactured housing in 55+ communities. When I think about all that we can offer, for a lot more value, are we missing out on marketing more to this 55+ buyer?
The great thing about manufactured housing communities is that there is something for everyone, from the most modest community with no amenities or added services to a community like Pueblo El Mirage by Roberts Resorts that is truly resort-style living. This 55+ community just west of Phoenix has an 18-hole golf course, 26 pickle ball courts, and a resort-style pool. Their calendar is full of activities and clubs to keep residents as busy as they choose to be.
This year, over 4.1 million Americans will turn 65, which is over 11,200 people a day. There are over 2.3 million more people over 70 in the country than in 2019, and since 2019 Americans over 70 have become $14 trillion wealthier, holding 30 percent of the country’s wealth.
Changing the way that you think about added services and how you market to 55+ buyers can create a real estate footprint with added ongoing revenues
Traditional senior living communities have noticed these trends, and many communities are changing their apartments and amenities to try to attract more of these customers. But, by offering apartments that have housekeeping, dining, and other services as optional, they have been able to attract a resident who is still out and about, possibly traveling every chance that they get and possibly even going to the office every day. So what can manufactured housing communities offer that these customers might not be able to get anywhere else? The opportunity to own your own home while not having the expense of owning and maintaining the land that it is sited on. Owners can still take advantage of services offered by the community, which could be a big draw for many clients. Here are some ways that you can set your 55+ community apart from the competition.
Aging In Place
According to AARP, aging in place is a big business that will continue to expand in the years to come. People want their independence, but also want to know that there are services and staff nearby when needed. Health and wellness is a huge concern for all seniors, and the licensing hurdles for assisted living communities can be overwhelming in some states. There are new, innovative ways to help residents get the care that they need without ever leaving their community.
Insurance companies are realizing that offering plans that even include food, social support, and wellness are making more sense, and keeping their insured healthier. Companies like Kroger and Amazon are tapping into this new opportunity — Kroger now has in-store health clinics in 35 states. There will be a lot more of this to come. Think about how this might be a growth area for your community as well.
Make sure that your homes are designed for this important niche that you are marketing to. The residents may not want grab bars when they move in, but it is important to think ahead and make sure that the walls are blocked in strategic areas to accommodate these safely. Hallways and doorways should be wide enough to easily allow wheelchair access. A separate, larger shower is a must, preferably barrier-free. At the recent Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, TOTO shared how important cleanliness is for seniors and how having the proper height toilet can help with mobility. These features no longer need to have an institutional look — they can be as beautiful as they are practical. Homes should be as close to ground set as possible, allowing residents easy access to their new homes.
Move In Services
What services does your community offer to make sure that moving into your community is seamless and a positive experience? Partner with Realtors®, downsizing specialists, movers, and estate sale companies that can help make downsizing and moving into your community a great experience.
Maintenance/Construction Providers
Residents always have something that needs to be fixed or replaced, big or small. Have a list of some third-party contractors for whom you have received referrals that can help your residents with these projects. A staff maintenance person may be available to make certain simple modifications, but if you can refer someone, that will take you and your community out of the day-to-day challenges that maintaining a home can bring.
Third-Party Care Providers
What many communities are learning is that by partnering with a third-party agency, they can provide home health care, and their residents can stay in their homes longer while getting the help that they might need.
Remember when doctors made house calls? The trend is reappearing in retirement communities where a nurse practitioner or physician will come to the community to see residents, and the visit is billed directly to the resident. Telehealth is another popular way to keep residents healthy without ever leaving home. Physical therapy is another popular third-party service where the therapist can come and train the resident right in your community health and wellness center.
Concierge Services
One of the wonderful indulgences when staying at a luxury resort is having your own concierge available to get you reservations at that restaurant that you have always wanted to try or to get you tickets to the hottest play on Broadway. Why not offer that same service in your community? Have a staff member who is available to residents during specific hours to help them with whatever their needs are and to help them f ind people who can perform special tasks for them that they can’t, or don’t want to, take care of themselves. Dog walkers, personal shoppers, dry cleaning and laundry services, and grocery deliveries are some of the tasks that come to mind for which someone would be happy to pay a premium.
Building a relationship oriented team isn’t only about offering concierge services. If you have an entire staff that creates relationships with your residents they can help identify issues that are happening in the community before they become larger problems. Constant communication with your residents not only builds trust but also creates referrals for your sales team.
Food Delivery Services
Make an arrangement for a local food delivery service to deliver meals for your residents. This can be through the local restaurant themselves or through a service like Uber Eats or Favor. Having this service in place for residents makes it easy for them to enjoy a delicious meal without ever leaving the community, but you don’t have the expense and liability of operating a restaurant. You could even have evenings with local restaurants where they could offer a special meal in your clubhouse or deliver it directly to the residents at an affordable price.
Food Truck Friday
Create an area in your community where food trucks come on specific days and have different dishes available for sale. This is a fun and easy way to offer dining services to your residents.
Transportation
Scheduling an Uber or Lyft may be second nature to us, but to some seniors it is a foreign concept. Many cities now have car services just for seniors who understand the senior living opportunities and can make a trip to the doctor’s office or to the post office stress-free. Identify one of these companies in your area, and share them with your residents.
Wellness Checks
Offering a plan for how residents can have someone know that they are OK every day without sacrificing their independence is a big benefit of living in a community. It might be something as simple as turning on a specific light in their home daily or having them call the front desk. This can provide peace of mind for family members as well.
Online Marketing
Having a robust, easy-to-understand website is critical in today’s market. We have all gotten used to having information at our fingertips, and if we can’t find what we need immediately, we move on to the next source. Silver Point Senior Living, a New Senior Living Management company, shared that over 85 percent of all of their inquiries come from digital / web-based leads. Does your website accurately reflect your community and the people who live there, or are you using stock photography that shows something different?
What the customer will experience when they visit your community?
What is the process for receiving an inquiry to tour your community? Do you track your speed-to-lead timeline? When there is a gap in connecting potential residents to a qualified salesperson, the customer can lose interest and move on to your competitors. If you don’t have the resources to have someone on staff to handle leads and inquiry calls, consider using a resource like MHVillage that can help you capture more leads and turn them into sales.
The best way to capture online demand is to add the personal touch of your sales team and community. Differentiate yourself from your competitors, and follow up with a handwritten thank you note. It is a small touch that won’t be forgotten.
Have you looked at your community’s reviews on Google and on social media platforms like Facebook? This is where potential customers often start their search and rely on reviews before moving forward to your website.
Most 55+ customers are on a different timeline than what we see in many all ages communities. Many would like to consider this the last move that they will be making and want to be sure that the decision that they make is the right decision. Get creative in your approach. Constant communication with your residents before and after the sale is critical.
Changing the way that you think about added services and how you market to 55+ buyers can create a real estate footprint with added ongoing revenues.
By creating trust and transparency with your residents at the beginning of the sales process, you can have fewer issues when they move in and are actively part of your community.
New Look Communities
The perception of what manufactured housing can offer is changing, especially when it comes to community living. One of the questions that buyers always have when they visit a retail center is “where can I find land” to site my home. Companies like The Reserve Communities are now giving them attractive, affordable options.
The Reserve at Copano Bay is a beautiful example of this approach. If you have not heard of Rockport, Texas, you will soon. This city is located on the Copano and Arkansas bays, just minutes from the Gulf of Mexico. Rockport is surrounded by state and national parklands, fishing piers, and sandy beaches, but it still offers an affordable coastal lifestyle that is getting harder to find. Nearby Corpus Christi has an international airport along with a wealth of health services, shopping, and cultural offerings. It is also a popular haven for seniors trying to escape the Florida crowds or harsh northern winters.
Stonetown Capital has been investing in manufactured housing since 2018 and started The Reserve and some of the best bird watching in the country.
What makes this community particularly enticing to potential buyers is that not only will there be an all-ages area, but The Reserve will also have 250 homesites in a gated area that will be a 55+ community. This area is called Costa Palms and offers its own community center, green spaces, and bay views. Both places will offer community-led activities, walking paths, and a community pier ideal for fishing or just enjoying the view and seasonal breezes. With aging in place being such an essential topic to homebuyers, homeowners can live in a 55+ community but still have their Communities to build new land-lease communities that could offer resort locations with amenity-rich facilities and services available to all residents. With over 700 home sites at The Reserve at Copano Bay, potential residents can tour model homes that are staged and available in the community, built by some of the nation’s finest homebuilders, including Cavco In-Neighborhood, Clayton, and Skyline Champion. The temporary sales office is located in a Cavco-built home that is a model that customers can purchase. Customers can experience the quality offered in today’s manufactured homes. When complete, the beautiful new community center and sales office will be overlooking Copano Bay, which has family living nearby. Offering this way to have independence while still having family and friends nearby is a trend we expect to see more of in the coming years.
Other Reserve communities are open or coming soon. The Reserve on Sleepy Hollow in Conroe, Texas has just opened, The Reserve at Flores Valley in San Antonio, and The Reserve on McKinney in Denton, Texas are under construction. It’s exciting to see the impact that communities like these are making on how people think about manufactured home lifestyles and how this can possibly change the entire direction of our industry.
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