One of the biggest challenges in modern marketing is finding the right way to reach diverse generational demographics. That certainly holds true in real estate. Gen Z, the youngest buyers who are just now hitting the market, have very different habits and preferences than Baby Boomers who were born as early as 1946. Today, we're going to take a deep look into the preferences of each generation, so you can appeal directly to their needs.

Gen Z

Born: 1997 – 2012

Current Age: 11 – 26 Years

Preferred Social Platforms: TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook

• Social Media Preferences in Depth
  It would be easier to list the social platforms Gen Z doesn't use. Gen Zers are likely to have a Facebook account, but unlikely to use it very often. They're the most active demographic on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. They're also overwhelmingly more likely than any other generation to use TikTok, making up nearly 70 percent of the platform's daily users.
• Home Types and Typical Budget
  For now, most people from Gen Z are young enough that they're looking for a starter home or a modest property they can improve over time. Since they're relatively new to the job market, most (though certainly not all) Gen Zers will be working with smaller budgets and trying to maximize every dollar spent.
• Selling or Buying
  As the youngest generation, it's no surprise that Gen Z is much more likely to be buyers than sellers since they're often shopping for their first home. Needs change quickly, though, as careers and families evolve. So it's likely that more members of Gen Z will become sellers over the next few years as they move for work, family, or simply to establish a "forever" home.

Millennials

Born: 1981 – 1996

Current Age: 27 – 42 Years

Preferred Social Platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook

• Social Media Preferences in Depth
  Just like Gen Z, Millennials tend to be much more active across all social platforms than their counterparts from older generations. While many have Facebook accounts, like Gen Z they typically don't use those accounts nearly as much as other platforms. Nearly half of Millennials use Instagram, more than half use LinkedIn, more than a quarter use Twitter and nearly three-quarters use YouTube. This is also the "oldest" generation largely active on TikTok, making up about 25 percent of the platform's daily users.
• Home Types and Typical Budget
  While they're the second youngest to Gen Z, Millenials are in the prime earning years for many careers and older Millennials have had plenty of time to start larger families. With more budget to spend and more needs to accommodate, older Millennials will often be looking for a higher standard of home than Gen Z. Younger Millennials, however, share more similarities in needs with Gen Z as they're much closer in age.
• Selling or Buying
  Especially among the older half of Millennials, you're likely to find a healthy mix of buyers and sellers. In many cases, those buyers will be shopping for a home for a second time in their life and will be much more familiar with the process. Younger Millennials are likely to skew more toward buying, though that trend will shift as the generation ages.

Gen X

Born: 1965 – 1980

Current Age: 43 – 58 Years

Preferred Social Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter

• Social Media Preferences
  While Gen X isn't quite as active on social media as the youngest generations, they do tend to prefer a wider range of platforms than Baby Boomers. From Gen X, about 77 percent are active on Facebook, nearly half are active on Instagram, and about a quarter are active on Twitter. YouTube once again performs very well, with about two-thirds of Gen Xers using the platform. Smaller numbers of Gen Xers favor LinkedIn, while very few use TikTok.
• Home Types and Typical Budget
  Members of Gen X with families may not be at the "empty nest" stage yet but also aren't likely to add any more members to the family. If their kids are still young, they may be looking for a larger space or better neighborhood to accommodate that family. Or if the kids are older and moving out, they may be looking to downsize. Whether they have a family or not, Gen Xers typically have more budget to work with, often significantly so compared to younger generations.
• Selling or Buying
  In most cases, if someone from Gen X is buying one home, then they're likely to be selling another. The same works in the opposite direction. It may not hold true for luxury buyers who are financially positioned to purchase a vacation or investment home. Either way, you can find plenty of buyer and seller leads from this generation.

Baby Boomers

Born: 1946 – 1964

Current Age: 59 – 77 Years

Preferred Social Platforms: Facebook, YouTube

• Social Media Preferences
  While Baby Boomers tend to favor a less eclectic selection of social platforms than the younger generations, they're quite active on the platforms that they do use. In 2022, more than half of people age 50–65 and more than a third of people age 65+ used Facebook, while 58 percent of people age 56+ used YouTube. For this generation, Facebook and YouTube are massively more popular than any other social platforms. While some Baby Boomers also engage on Twitter and Instagram, exceptionally few use TikTok or LinkedIn.
• Home Types and Typical Budget
  Baby Boomers are mostly now entering or getting close to the typical retirement age, which means their needs and budgets can vary quite a bit. Those who've saved plenty over the years may be shopping for their little slice of paradise in a high-demand location, where they can retire and enjoy their golden years to the fullest. Those with smaller budgets, however, will often be looking to downsize and save money for retirement.
• Selling or Buying
  Like with Gen X, if a Baby Boomer is buying one home, they're likely selling another — and the same exceptions apply. However, they're a little more likely than Gen X to be buyers without selling, as a significant number of retirees like to purchase a second home in a different location so they can enjoy warm weather all year, budget permitting.

Consider Commonalities Between Generations

While there are many things you can do differently to maximize your appeal to each generation, it's also well worth remembering the common thread that clients from every generation want an agent they can truly trust to help them navigate one of life's most complex financial decisions. It's helpful to keep that core concept in mind as you customize your approach to appeal to each generation.