Can I Relate?

Do I still have it?

Can I relate?

As a realtor for over 30 years, I have been blessed with so many wonderful clients. The good news is many of those clients have brought up families of their own. I’m seeing more and more of my past clients refer their kids to me. I love working with younger clients because most of the time they soak in much of the advice I give them. Because they trust their parents who referred me, I seem to have some credibility. My hope is my track record will be enough, but kids today are very resourceful and at times, they think they can research enough information on their own. They do a great job of the basics but then look to me for the unsaid things, the feel things, the things they have a hard time verbalizing.

I like to think I’m pretty in the know when it comes to how younger people think and relate. My 20- and 23-year-old sons keep me pretty attuned to what is important to them. But lately, I’m starting to question if I really am in tune with this generation as well as wondering if they care about the wisdom from my past experiences.

Do I still have it? Can I relate?

I can talk to empty nesters all day and relate to what they are going through because I’m going through the same things. I’m also working with many of them so I have current experience that makes me creditable.

This younger generation is very different. As easy as it is for my generation to say these kids have no manners or no common sense, I DO think this generation will make the world a better place. I think this because they embrace change and can adapt quicker than I and my generation can. But I do sometimes question their manners, common courtesy and respect for others.

This is my dilemma. I’m working with a generation that drops the F bomb so casually, they think nothing of it and don’t think it’s offensive. I cringe when I hear it and yes, I have said it before (usually on the golf course). I hear their music that expresses things that I just can’t fathom. Do I have to adjust? Is this the new norm? Is there a halfway point? Am I just an old fashioned fuddy duddy?

For reference, I was born and raised here, grew up in the family grocery stores where it was assumed you worked until the work got done. I’m in a totally commissioned business where if I don’t perform, I don’t make a living. I’d rather watch reruns of Andy Griffith because they are always wholesome instead of the newest thing on Netflix and growing up my mom would put soap in my mouth if I cussed.

The younger clients I work with are great, very smart people, but some of the things they care about and don’t care about make me wonder if I’m the one who is not so smart. I’m trying to find that happy medium where I give them representation based on their needs and share my wisdom based on 32 years of experience. When I show them houses, most have done their homework already, usually by looking at the pictures and googling the area. Many don’t seem to care about things that I see as potential red flags for them. This is where I try to gently tell them, yes, the quartz counters, the new flooring, the finished basement adds a lot of space and is very appealing, but did you put into your budget that the furnace is 25 years old and the roof is even older? In the end, they appreciate me walking them through but sometimes it’s a challenge. Am I relating to what’s important to them or not?

I’m trying to find the right balance between meeting the new unique needs of the younger generation while still using the knowledge of my decades of real estate experience to guide them.