Event Coverage

Working with Seniors Takes Special Skills, but It’s Rewarding

Working with senior homebuyers and sellers takes special skills, but it can also be rewarding. Information and advice about dealing with this special group of clients were shared at a recent Sunnyvale/Cupertino/Santa Clara Tour Meeting by a panel of experts. The panel included Carolyn Miller, a RE/MAX Realtor with a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation; Nancy Soule of GMAC Mortgage; Sandy Throne of Clutterpros; and Lisa Lambka, a contractor.

Here are some special questions asked of the panel:

What special skills do you possess with regard to working with seniors?

Miller: With 26 years in real estate, I believe I have reached the “age of understanding.” I encourage you to get the SRES designation course. It’s well-worth the time. Senior make up a segment of our client. They are moving closer to their grandchildren, or in transition to assisted living and they are not just like any homebuyer or seller. As their Realtor, you are not just selling a home, you play a larger role because a lot of emotions come into play when they move out of a home that they have lived in for many years.

Soule: I’ve been a lender for over 30 years and dealt with reverse mortgages for over 11 years. I am a certified senior advisor and take continuing credits in this area.

Throne: I am a professional organizer; we recycle everything. We treasure their treasures. I’ve always been an advocate for seniors. I manage their move and make sure they are safe.

Lambka: We help senors stay in their homes longer. I like working with seniors. We install grip bars, ramps, and do a lot of retrofitting in bathrooms and kitchens.

How would you determine it’s time for seniors to move?

Miller: Timing is everything, but it must be their decision. Often they may move to a different place, but will not sell their house. Trust is important. It’s a two-step process – you first make a visit, make friends. Trust is more important in what you do. They make decisions on a handshake. They need to trust you.

Soule: You need to assemble a team of experts composed of the financial planner, Realtor, accountant. Many are downsizing and face issues like health situations. Considering a reverse mortgage depends on the health of the senior and needs to be discussed. Maybe the senior needs a caretaker, or some modification of the home.

Throne: Often their kids are clueless about what to do. Nothing is worse for a senior than to have your whole life dumped in a dumpster. We take photos of their treasures, set aside their favorites and make sure we respect their things.

Lambka: We try to make their home as comfortable for them as we can by installing chair lifts, even elevators, anything that will make them more comfortable while they are still at home.

What is your role if the senior decides to stay or move?

Miller: You need humor in life and death. You need to make friends with them for years and this builds the trust. We all have doctors and dentists and keep them in our lives for years and as a Realtor, our clients need us to be there for them to depend on us as well. Let the seniors set the tone. We’re there to serve them.

Soule: Often, reverse mortgage will work for them. It will provide them with the monthly income to afford a caretaker, live on credit,  prepare a home for sale, with no closing costs or prepayment penalties.

Throne: We can help them either way. We can alter, re-arrange the home or we can facilitate the move.

Lambka: It’s their decision. We are there to help them if they should decide to sell or to stay. It’s mainly important to build relationships with the customer.

Pictured left to right: Lisa Lambka, a contractor; Sandy Throne of Clutterpros; Nancy Soule of GMAC Mortgage; and Carolyn Miller, a RE/MAX Realtor with a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation.

The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, e-mail , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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