Within the next decade, the youngest Baby Boomers will enter retirement and the elder Gen Zers will enter their 30s. There is a shift beginning in the way we approach communication in rental housing so that we can better target the young and seasoned audiences that are shifting from family or purchased homes into affordable and rental housing.
As Millennials shift into their 30s and 40s, they’ll start to lean more towards buying homes than renting. While there are a lot of similarities between Millennials and Gen Z, there is still a difference in the way communication should be handled—just like the differences between Gen X and Baby Boomers. It’s crucial to know the differences and similarities between these generations so that you can better communicate with your residents in the coming decade.
Who are the Baby Boomers?
Baby Boomers are considered to be anyone born between the years of 1944 and 1964 (In 2019, they will be between the ages of 55 and 75). They value relationships more than any current generation because they have spent the majority of their lives without quick technology (social media, AIM, smartphones, etc.). Boomers are often competitive, goal-centric, resourceful, mentally focused, team-oriented, and disciplined. They have good communication skills because they’ve always talked face-to-face.
Baby Boomers tend to answer questions thoroughly and expect to be pressed for details. They prefer phone calls and e-mails as a means of communication and often use technology as productivity tools as opposed to connectivity. As they step out of their purchased properties to live in smaller homes or apartments that require little to no work, they step into the world of rental housing.
Who is Generation Z?
Generation Zers are considered to be anyone born between the years of 1995 and 2015. Those born in 2011 or earlier will be renting and moving out of family homes in the next decade. As they graduate high school and college, rental properties and student housing are in their future. Gen Zers, like Millennials, are unique in the sense that technology has always been an important part of their lives. Gen Zers, though, are used to this world-renowned tech in their back pocket and know how to use it well.
Generation Z is the largest generation since the Baby Boomers—making up over 2.52 billion of the world’s population. Despite the fact that Gen Zers are used to their smartphone constantly by their side, they crave face-to-face communication.
How can we bridge the generational gap?
Despite their differences, both generations are looking for relationships and a friendly, personable approach to communication. Just like Gen Zers are more willing to buy a product their favorite YouTuber shared, they are more likely to respond to a property manager they trust and communicate with regularly. The same goes for Baby Boomers.
Both generations are more likely than any four-generation gap to communicate in similar ways. Both are likely to respond to tech communication, they just prefer it in different ways.
The most effective approach is to remain constant in communication. No matter what generation, we have a lot more access to information now than ever before. Because we receive many messages daily, it’s easy for communication to get lost if you don’t reach out regularly. Assess and address each generation’s needs and your communication strategies will become increasingly more effective.
Communication made easy!
Rent Manager offers various communication features to help expand the functionality of your software. From 2-Way Text Messaging to rmVOIP, you can communicate in the perfect way for you and your residents. Check out our various features here!
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