My Feed

Learn best practices when attending a senior health expo or fair

and practical tips on how to succeed as a vendor.

Senior health fairs and expos are held all over the country. Somewhat seasonal, they usually occur in the early Spring and Fall but may be held other times of year.

Real estate pro’s who are specializing the mature market are often invited to participate in these events. Consider at least two options for participation:

ATTENDEE

As an attendee, you might make it a point to get to know the vendors and learn about the various services available to seniors in your city and state. It’s a virtual smorgasbord of information.

One piece of advice here is that you don’t overstay your welcome at any one booth. The vendors are there to talk with people who are interested in their services – namely senior adults. So, be aware and don’t overstay your welcome or you may be seen as annoying rather than pleasant.

PARTICIPANT

As a participant, I would encourage you to focus on the needs of the attendees. Rather than a big banner with your real estate headshot that says, “Call me when you’re ready to sell your house,” consider a different approach. Maybe a sign that says, “Ask me how I can make your move easier.” Remember that people who attend these events are not generally in action mode, so rather than selling, help them by educating them. This can be the beginning of a new relationship that might result in business over time.

EDUCATIONAL APPROACH

If you are offering educational programming as part of your business model, inviting people to attend a future seminar is the best possible promotion you can do at expos and trade fairs. By inviting them to an event where you are the speaker, moderator, or presenter, you give them an opportunity to get to know you better without the pressure of a one-on-one meeting before they might be ready.

FOLLOW UP

If you are holding a raffle or drawing, be sure to include a question about whether or not they own a home. This will help you when it comes to creating a relevant follow-up system after the event.

Keep in mind that expos and fairs are far better for becoming known in your market as an expert in serving the mature market than they are at generating immediate leads.

If you found this helpful and would like more training about serving seniors and creating a successful mature market niche, click HERE for more information on the Success in Seniors Real Estate foundational course:

https://seniorsrealestateinstitute.com/success-in-seniors-real-estate/

Learn about why it’s important to educate yourself about reverse mortgages and be prepared for when you are faced with one.

I am amazed at how many real estate agents are unfamiliar with the reverse mortgage loan product. It’s also called a home equity conversion mortgage or HECM (pronounced ‘heckum’) for short.

The short answer to the definition of a reverse mortgage loan is: A mortgage available to people 62 and older. It’s an FHA-insured loan and it can be used to:

1) Refinance a current mortgage 2) Access equity on a home that doesn’t have a mortgage on it 3) To purchase a home – new or pre-existing

The biggest advantage to the reverse mortgage is that there are no mortgage payments required. This option frees up income to be used in other ways.

Ideally, the interest that accrues on the loan is offset by the rate of home appreciation.

Some people use the reverse mortgage loan because they have a financial need, some have wants, while others are simply using the product as a retirement planning tool.

So, why is this important for real estate agents to know about?

Whether you are specializing in the mature market or not, you are going to encounter home sellers who have reverse mortgages on their current homes. You need to know how to assist them in getting the information they need to pay off the loan when the home is sold.

Under normal circumstances, there is equity in the home and the reverse mortgage simply needs to be satisfied upon closing like any other type of loan. If the balance on the loan is more than the home is valued, the homeowner has various options. As an agent, you need to know what these options are so you can advise your client.

So, what is the best way to learn about reverse mortgages?

There are some great resources out there on this topic. In fact, we recently did a webinar with a reverse mortgage specialist, Lee Smith (NMLS# 969842) of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp and the replay is available on our website.

You can access it by CLICKING HERE. It’s toward the bottom of the replay page.

BEWARE OF MISINFORMATION

Be cautious when reading articles or listening to stories about reverse mortgages online. There is so much misinformation out there. The articles often make reverse mortgages out to be the “bad guys” leaving out relevant details like homeowners who fail to pay their property taxes or keep their home insured!

NOT ALL LENDERS SPECIALIZE IN HECM’s

Just like ill-equipped real estate agents who may dabble in selling properties outside their regular scope of practice (and make the rest of us crazy in the process), some loan officers will take on a reverse mortgage – even if they aren’t specialists in that product. We recommend that you talk to a lender who specializes in reverse mortgages. Avoid those who ‘can’ do them and talk to those who DO in fact do them frequently and successfully.

In this video we share some advice about giving short talks and ideas on choosing a topic.

What topics are best for short talks?

This may seem like an easy question to answer, but the reality is that you need to do a bit of investigation before choosing a specific topic on which to speak.

Here a few things to consider:

Ask the program chair or person who recommended you as a speaker to share what they think the group would appreciate hearing about. Be sure to listen to what they say and differentiate between what they may personally want to know versus what they think would be good for their group.

Evaluate your audience. Find out what the makeup of the audience will be. Are they mostly retirees? Are there people dealing with caregiving issues? Is the group largely professionals and if so, what industries do they represent?

Suggest topics that involve 3 or 5 points. For instance, “3 Mistakes Longtime Homeowners Should Avoid When Downsizing.” List key points you want to share with short elaboration on each. Then, open it up for questions from the audience. If you are a licensee of the Downsizing Made Easy presentation system, you may want to refer to the 5 Steps to a Successful Move. You can review the five steps and offer to take questions on any of the points.

One last very important point is to remember that this group has a schedule, an agenda, and a hard stop for their meetings. If you go over your allotted time, you will cause frustration for the program chair and the members will likely be squirming in their seats.

Honor the time you have been given and offer to talk privately with people after the meeting adjourns. This means not booking yourself for another appointment right after the meeting and having to rush out abruptly (which will appear very rude and leave you missing key opportunities to connect).

Here’s what you need to know about assisted living communities.

Have you ever wondered why some retirement communities are specifically referred to as assisted living and others aren’t?

Sometimes we hear clients say they recently moved their parents into an assisted living facility. (By the way, we try to avoid the word ‘facility’ because no one – we mean NO ONE – wants to live in a facility. We like ‘community’ much better!). Nonetheless, when people say this, what they really mean is that their parents moved to a retirement community – not necessarily an assisted living type.

Assisted living communities (see how much nicer that sounds) are licensed within the state in which they provide residential services – healthcare services that is. In addition to a place to live, assisted living is designed to provide things like medication management, three meals per day, and assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming.

“People who move into assisted living communities can usually live their lives independently as long as they have a little help.”“

Assisted living is NOT the same as a long term care community (a.k.a. nursing home). This is usually where the confusion comes in. To clarify, nursing communities may offer similar services as assisted living communities, but their level of licensure is higher, and the services they offer are even more involved.

People who move into assisted living communities can usually live their lives independently as long as they have a little help.

So, why don’t more people move into assisted living rather than into long term care communities if they only need minimal support? The short answer is “cost.” Assisted living is almost always private pay and very few accept Medicaid (state health insurance) as a pay source. This topic, however, is for another day.

If you have any questions about how to become more educated on the many residential living options available to seniors, we invite you to join our course, Success in Seniors Real Estate: https://seniorsrealestateinstitute.com/success-in-seniors-real-estate/

Educators, Advocates, Real Estate Agents… In That Order This blog post was inspired by a recent experience in our own real estate practice. As you know, we do our best to help shorten the learning curve for you by sharing the “real life stuff” that happens in the day to day lives of our members — good, bad, and ugly!

So… it was said recently that maybe I had “overstepped my bounds” as a real estate agent when I questioned why a mutual client had chosen one particular senior living option over others.

“You are just a real estate agent,” the woman says.

As it began, our client tells us that she has been having trouble eating right, getting around, and staying active, and that her daughter was having to take off work regularly to transport her to the doctor. She had chosen, however, to move to an independent living community offering none of these services (meals, transportation, scheduled outings, security, etc.) Naturally, I wanted to know if she or her daughter were aware of or had considered other options.

Let’s be clear about what we at Buckelew Realty Group and OKC Mature Moves consider as our professional services boundaries — both as Certified Senior Housing Professionals and as human beings.

We are NOT typical real estate agents only assessing how we can get a home sold or purchased. We are NOT typical sales people only thinking about how to get the fastest commission check. And we are certainly NOT “just real estate agents.”

We are MORE than that!

The way we see our role is first as educators. It is our job to ensure that our clients and the community-at-large is well-informed, equipped, and empowered to make good choices. As a matter of fact, our first real estate team — the one we sold back in 2005 — was named the Clear Choice Team because it was our intention to ensure that all the parties we represented were in fact making “clear choices” as they entered into a real estate sales transaction.

We took that mantra a step further as we added additional services for our elder clients and made it our mission to guarantee our clients were fully informed, adequately equipped, and fully educated before they made decisions about where, when, and how their move would take place.

Educators Sales people know this; that is why those who lack integrity do their best to keep clients in the dark so they can manipulate them. As long as people are uneducated, they are easily sold and rarely question the fine print. Our goal is the opposite. We want to tell them everything they need to know.

Knowledge is power.

We believe the more people know, the better decisions they will make for themselves and the more empowered they will be. This is true for caregivers, family members, and most importantly, elders who are doing their best to navigate the decision making process in a world where nothing seems to be “clear cut” and everybody seems to have a hidden agenda.

Advocates Let’s be honest here: Being educated and knowledgeable about something does not necessarily mean that you have the skill or ability to get the outcome you desire. Sometimes the thing that is lacking isn’t knowledge — it’s courage.

In my experience as a former counselor the number one area that clients seemed to struggle with as they made major life decisions in their later years was having the courage to ask for what they wanted — and then stick to their guns until they got it. This is especially true for women who were brought up in a world where men were in charge and they, as females, were not encouraged to assert their own opinions or desires.

Real estate decisions are life decisions.

Many of our clients, especially those who are widowed, feel completely lost because they have never been in a position of authority or in the decision making role. We frequently hear our clients say, “My husband handled all of these things.” When this is said, I watch the body language and it becomes quite evident that they are scared of and overwhelmed by the tasks at hand.

As advocates, our job is to first ensure that the client is being treated fairly and honestly in all things. This means questioning things we aren’t sure about, such to verify that the client is well-informed and making confident and empowered decisions. Should we find that someone is being bullied, coerced, or manipulated into making a decision, we bring this fact to the forefront with all parties involved. Naturally, this can cause ruffled feathers, especially when we enlighten people that a salesperson things they have already “sold” on a product or service.

Truthfully, it isn’t usually overt action causing people to make ill-advised decisions, it is most often the lack of knowledge.

Our other responsibility as advocates is to support and recommend those things which we believe may be beneficial to our clients. Rather than sitting back on our laurels or just doing our “job,” we assess the entire situation and make recommendations, offer solutions, and ask questions. Because we are uniquely educated in the issues of aging and caregiving, as well as moving, senior living, estate liquidation, and selling or buying property, we have the ability to assess the situation from a more comprehensive approach.

Ultimately, all decisions are made by the client, as they should be.

The fact is, however, if we have done our job effectively as educators, our clients know what is right for them and feel confident in their decision making.

Advocacy then becomes easy — it’s about helping them get what they want and under the terms that best suit their goals, desires, and intended outcomes.

Real estate professionals Our first two roles as educators and advocates really have little to do with our vocation. These are more about being good human beings — loving, caring, and serving.

While we don’t earn income directly from being educators or advocates for our clients, what we do earn is respect, trust, and the privilege of assisting them with the sale of their homes, businesses, and other property.

We don’t take kick-backs from referral partners and we don’t ask for (or accept) placement fees from senior living or retirement communities. To do so would muddy the water related to our advocacy role. By staying neutral, we remove any question as to where our loyalties stand.

In our role as real estate agents, we are masterful negotiators and project managers. Every single day we are managing and facilitating transactions involving multiple parties who are both directly and indirectly related to the transaction.

Many real estate agents only concern themselves with the actual sale itself, limiting their attention to real estate sales-related issues.

Our perspective is much broader, as we assist in facilitating the pre-move, move, and post-move process, as well as the real estate transaction and the estate liquidation.

It’s about more than selling or buying a home.

Our roles as educators and advocates are about who we are. Real estate sales is simply a vehicle allowing us to serve in those capacities and in a way that is frequently absent from most real estate related encounters.

People are more than welcome to question our skills or our knowledge, but to question our integrity would be a big mistake.

We will happily provide hundreds upon hundreds of names of people who know us and who know that we are about doing what is right — even when no one is watching. This is especially true when we are serving one of the most admirable and honored members of our community – our elders.

Nothing gives us more joy than to empower, educate and serve the needs of our elders.

Clients’ needs and goals come first and the commission is secondary. If we didn’t get paid to do what we do, we probably couldn’t do it, but the fact is this: The money we receive serves to pay our bills and affords us a nice life, but the relationships we form and the appreciation we receive is what motivates us and gets us up every morning.

Ask yourself, who am I and what do I stand for?

• SREI blog archives.

Realtors who serve seniors provide far more than you might expect.

Some real estate agents begin to specialize as they gain experience in the business, and some agents wonder whether it’s a good idea to focus on serving seniors. Today I’ll be going over the different things you’ll need to keep in mind when catering your services toward the mature market.

Educate Many salespeople prey upon those who lack knowledge. The less informed a person is, the easier it is to sway them toward a decision that benefits the salesperson. We do the opposite — we overeducate our clients to make sure they understand what they’re signing, what decisions they’re making, and how they’re progressing. Education is a key part of serving seniors effectively.

“I am an educator, advocate, and then a Realtor.”

Advocate Many of our clients haven’t bought or sold real estate in decades. In many cases, it’s like dealing with a first-time homebuyer. However, seniors may be somewhat fearful or lack the confidence to find answers to their concerns. As an educator, you position yourself as a fiduciary for the client and help them throughout the process.

When we provide advocacy, we go to bat for people who may be unable to do so themselves. When someone is being scammed or treated incorrectly, an advocate helps resolve these problems and get them what they need.

Real Estate Finally, as Realtors, we help people buy and sell homes. However, this is the least-defining part of who we are — we are educators and advocates who help people meet their home-related goals. Though we may not see financial compensation for advocacy and education, these roles are fulfilling and rewarding on their own. The ultimate payoff is the trust we build in our community and with the people we serve.

Are you willing to be an educator and advocate for your clients? If so, working with seniors can be a rewarding way to specialize in real estate. If you’d like to learn more about what it means to become an expert in serving seniors, please contact us or visit our Success in Seniors Real Estate page.

Get started by enrolling in Success in Seniors Real Estate today or check out our Free Webinars.

If you’ve been specializing with senior clients for very long, you’ll know that the family is often engaged in the process. Sometimes those families are high-functioning and communicative, and sometimes they’re not. So how can you better help them?

“How to Say It to Seniors: Closing the Communication Gap with Our Elders” by David Solie is a great resource to consult with if you’re asking today’s question. It’s a little book you can find on Amazon, and at around 200 pages, it’s an easy read. In it, you’ll find information to help you guide senior clients to the process of downsizing or dealing with age-related issues. David Solie discusses two different issues that many older adults deal with often:

1. Maintaining control in a world where all control is being lost. As real estate experts, we sometimes help people let go of a home that they’ve owned for many years. Sometimes people feel like they lack control over their circumstances and are being made to make a decision that they don’t want to make. David explains how we can better communicate with people to help them process their decisions.

“Of all the textbooks I’ve ever read, this one little guide has changed my thoughts and how I deal with clients every day.”

1. Leaving a legacy in a world where time is running short. Some clients have been diagnosed with a terminal illness or struggle with a progressive chronic illness. Then, let’s face it, there is simply aging – each and every day. Having fewer years to look forward to than the number which are in the rearview mirror can sometimes be challenging to process. You don’t have to be a counselor to people in these situations, but there are other ways to help them process what’s going on in their parents’ minds.

Of all the textbooks I’ve ever read, this one little guide has changed my thoughts and how I deal with clients every day. We’ve made it required reading for our courses at SREI—that’s how important I believe it to be in the process of serving seniors.

If you have any questions or are in search of other resources for issues you’ve encountered, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help you.

Get started by enrolling in Success in Seniors Real Estate today or check out our Free Webinars.

What are the top three mistakes agents make when working with downsizing sellers? All agents will encounter long-time homeowners and downsizing sellers whether they focus on the senior niche or not. If you’re thinking, “Well, that’s not really my specialty,” please pay attention because the next client you talk to may be in this very situation. When I say “downsizing seller,” I mean someone who a) may have lived in their home for three, four, or five decades, or b) is moving from a larger house to a smaller one and has accumulated a lot of possessions over the years that they won’t be moving with them.

Now, here are the top three mistakes you must avoid when working with these sellers:

1. Focusing only on the home sale. Long-time homeowners typically accumulate a lot of possessions. No matter how big their home is, they often have things in every nook and cranny. Even minimalists can have things they didn’t realize they had. If you list a home without noticing the challenges of dealing with the owner’s possessions or having the resources to do so, that can create problems for you and your client.

“You need to ask downsizing sellers a lot of questions.”

1. Listing the home while occupied. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked, “Why won’t my seller leave for showings?” In some cases, long-time owners have mobility issues, have a pet, or can’t drive after dark. Thus, they either can’t leave for showings or don’t feel safe doing so. In some cases, you may have to ask some questions to ensure they’re comfortable leaving for showings. There are a whole host of other things that can occur when listing a house while occupied that can have a cascading effect, and one of those is personal possessions.

2. Solidifying a purchase contract before the client secures a new residence. If you’re thinking, “I would never sell someone’s home before they knew where they’d move next,” I thought the same thing. That is, until I started talking with senior living communities who said they’d get calls from clients who’d say they needed to look at an apartment so they could move because their Realtor sold their home. They’re excited that their home is sold, but they don’t know where they’ll go, and they only have a limited time to figure that out.

As I mentioned above, there’s a cascading effect to take into consideration for these people. They not only have to find a place to move, but they also have a household to liquidate. If they can’t move everything with them, what will they do with their extra stuff?

All three of these mistakes are intertwined, so the bottom line is that you need to ask downsizing sellers a lot of questions to avoid them. For example, do you have a new place to live and is it currently available for occupancy? Do you know what you’ll do with your extra possessions that can’t be moved? What is your availability to let us show the home when buyers want to see it – are you able to leave for showings?

These are great clients to have, so it’s important to be fully equipped to handle the details of these types of transactions. If you have questions about this topic, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear from you.

If you are considering a specialty working with mature homeowners and downsizing seniors, join our community of Certified Senior Housing Professionals by signing up today for Success in Seniors Real Estate!

What is the correct word for retirement homes?

That’s a great question because there are many ways to describe them. Sometimes you hear ‘retirement community’ (a great way to describe them). Sometimes you hear ‘senior living community’ (another great term). You’ll also hear ‘retirement home’ occasionally, but that’s kind of a dated term. Another description is ‘retirement facility,’ which puts me over the edge. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, I start to shake, and I think my team starts wondering whether I’m going to come over the table at somebody. Nobody wants to live in a ‘facility.’ I don’t want to live in a ‘facility,’ and seniors don’t either.

So how do we describe communities for adults who are 55 years old or older (or 62 and over)? I recommend substituting ‘community’ for ‘facility.’ That said, if you’re specializing in the senior market, there are a few scenarios you should take into consideration.

For example, this might be important when networking. If you’re networking with a group of people who work in the industry and serve seniors through an independent living community (or a CCRC), you’ll hear them refer to their community as a community—not a facility. If you refer to it as a facility, you instantly lose rapport with them. In a networking meeting, for instance, you’ll say something like, ‘Oh, I understand you work for XYZ senior living community. That’s great! Tell me more about it.’ If you use the word ‘facility’ there, you’ll lose them altogether. They’ll know you’re not the real deal because you’re not speaking their language.

“If you’re mirroring and matching and trying to build rapport with them, you use their words.”

Conversely, if you’re networking with someone who’s working at a healthcare or assisted living community, you might hear them use the word ‘facility’ more often. It’s more of a healthcare term, and you see it in the nursing industry as well. If you’re mirroring and matching and trying to build rapport with them, you use their words.

Here’s the tricky thing, though: If you’re talking to a senior adult who’s describing where they want to move, they may say, ‘I’m going to move to the home,’ or ‘My daughter wants me to move to one of those facilities.’ If you’re just getting to know them, you want to have a rapport with them, which means you use their words. Over time, though, you could change it up a little and say something like, ‘You know what? That facility you mentioned is a really beautiful community. I’ve been to that community many times.’ What you’re illustrating to them is that you use the word ‘community’ without having to correct them.

Another time things can get confusing is when you’re writing an article or blog post. Do you use the word ‘facility’ then? If you’re looking for SEO, you probably want to use both words and compare and contrast them so you’re searchable. Even though the word ‘facility’ is being pushed aside in the industry, the public may still be using it and searching for the term.

As a rule of thumb, the word ‘facility’ is out. If you’re talking about marketing yourself as an expert in senior living options, cross it out, substitute ‘community’ for it, and ingrain that into your vocabulary. You’ll have better results, people will better identify with you, and they’ll appreciate you focusing on the words that matter to the clients.

For more information on this topic, you can refer to an earlier blog post I made about it here. If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to me by phone or email. I’d love to hear from you.

If you are considering a specialty working with mature homeowners and downsizing seniors, join our community of Certified Senior Housing Professionals and sign up today for Success in Seniors Real Estate.

In this video, Dr. Nikki Buckelew from the Seniors Real Estate Institute shared valuable insights on successfully speaking at senior living communities. Her guidance focuses on five critical considerations and practical tips for delivering a meaningful and impactful presentation.

Understanding Your Audience and Setting
The first step is identifying the type of community and its target audience. Whether it’s independent living, assisted living, memory care, or a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), each has unique needs and expectations. Tailoring your message to the audience ensures relevance and engagement.

Additionally, clarify the format of your presentation—whether it’s a solo talk, a panel discussion, or part of a speaker series. Knowing this helps you prepare accordingly and assess whether other presenters complement or overlap with your expertise.

Nikki also emphasizes the importance of understanding the event logistics. Determine who is in charge of planning and marketing. Is the community managing it locally or is it being handled corporately? Local coordination typically allows for better collaboration. Finally, visit the venue beforehand to familiarize yourself with the setup and visualize your presentation.

Practical Tips for Success
Preparation and adaptability are key. Nikki advises staying in close contact with the event organizer, especially in light of potential staff changes. Confirm RSVPs, attendee numbers, and any last-minute needs the day before the event.

On the day of the presentation, arrive early—30 minutes to an hour before the start time. This allows you to meet attendees, build rapport, and handle any unforeseen challenges.

Be ready for surprises, such as the marketing representative leaving after the introduction. Always bring handouts and evaluation forms for attendees to complete. These forms not only provide feedback but also serve as an opportunity to collect contact information for follow-up.

Building Long-Term Relationships
Regardless of attendance numbers, Nikki emphasizes expressing gratitude to the marketing representative for the opportunity. Send a thank-you note as a gesture of appreciation. Remember, the goal is not just the presentation itself but building trust and establishing yourself as a reliable resource in the community.

By following these strategies, speakers can create memorable experiences and foster meaningful connections within senior living communities.

If this was helpful to you, check out some of our other great resources!