Active adult buyers, who often sit on decades of built-up equity, are at least partially shielded from the affordability constraints squeezing younger, entry-level buyers.
But that doesn’t mean marketing to this buyer segment is easy. While some in this group want to move quickly into their next stage of life, many are willing to wait for the right community and opportunity. Their priority is often finding the ideal lifestyle match, and with the financial flexibility to be selective, they may not feel pressed to settle.
That reality has forced many active adult builders and communities to take a closer look at what actually moves these buyers across the finish line. Many are ready to buy now and don’t want to put off a major life decision, but in a competitive homebuilding environment, convincing them to choose one community over another is the real challenge.
That’s why some builders are turning to organic, in-person experiences — inviting prospects to events and gatherings where they can picture themselves in the community, meet the people already living there and see firsthand that the lifestyle offers the freedom to live exactly as they choose. That same approach should extend to messaging, tapping into the target buyer’s psychology by showing prospects the lifestyle they aspire to and people like themselves already living it.
Show, don’t tell
Amblebrook, an age-restricted community in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, developed by master developer Crown Community Development, focuses on selling a lifestyle first.
“We know that the 55-plus buyer is really focused on lifestyle, and the house comes second,” said Sara Carbonell, Amblebrook’s Director of Sales and Marketing, in an interview with HousingWire TBD.
Selling a lifestyle can become much easier when prospective buyers can get immersed in the community’s culture and social fabric.
That’s why Amblebrook’s Days of Joy event series was born.
The community’s Days of Joy series began a few years ago and typically takes place 3-4 times a year. The idea is to create a seasonal, high-interest event that brings residents, prospective buyers and community vendors together in one place.
The goal, Carbonell said, is to showcase the lifestyle and amenities offered at Amblebrook and the surrounding Gettysburg community.
The event’s offerings change each time, keeping the series fresh and interesting. One recent event, for example, involved an artisan festival on the community’s great lawn. Outside vendors and sometimes residents who own small businesses often set up booths. There may also be block parties, live music and activities, a “grill and chill” theme, a football watch party or other themed gatherings.
The series encourages organic interactions between prospective buyers and current residents. Instead of a formal sales interaction, people naturally strike up conversations while enjoying the event. As a result, prospects hear directly from residents about what it is actually like to live there and experience it for themselves.
“That’s our general process to sell the lifestyle. They have to see it, and they have to see it in action,” Carbonell said.
While each Days of Joy event is impactful in its own right, Amblebrook does not rely solely on these events to drive traffic. Instead, they continue to offer other programs and activities throughout the year to maintain consistent engagement and sales opportunities. Part of this effort includes fostering engagement with the local Gettysburg community and facilitating transportation to nearby attractions and day-trip adventures.
Another key part of this strategy is the 7,000-square-foot welcome center, which was designed for community interaction, with gathering spaces, a café and market, activities, and club meetings. Residents often hang out in the welcome center, creating natural opportunities for prospects to interact with current residents and experience the community as they would if they already lived there.
Using residents to complement the sales team has proven to be quite effective, Carbonell explained.
“We employed an ambassador program. Ambassadors are residents who are interested in bragging about the community. They help and volunteer at all of our events, and we have a rewards program for them. We train them, and they really just enjoy meeting new people,” she said.
Amblebrook also utilizes its own version of the “stay and play” marketing strategy, allowing prospective residents to stay on site for multiple consecutive days to experience the lifestyle firsthand.
Buyers must envision themselves in the community
Prospective buyers want to see people like themselves living the lifestyle a community offers, including taking part in activities that reflect their interests. Smart marketing taps into this, Carbonell said.
“First and foremost, they have to see themselves in the community. They have to see other people, maybe with similar backgrounds, enjoying similar activities that they would like to enjoy or already enjoy. That comes down to programming. It comes down to what types of clubs and classes we offer. What can we learn about this prospect, and how can we put them in the middle of that based upon what we’ve learned about their interests and hobbies?” she explained.
While some active adult buyers are ready to buy quickly, many others prefer to wait a while before making a final decision. Immersing prospects in the lifestyle can speed up that process, or at least make the homebuying journey more enjoyable.
“Our buyer takes quite some time to make the purchase decision. Sometimes it’s more than a year. I’ve seen people who want to participate who have been on our list for two-plus years just because of what their life stage is like,” Carbonell added.
Buyer hesitancy also impacts leading active adult brands like Trilogy by Shea Homes, which offers both age-restricted and non-age-restricted lifestyle communities. Some buyers are in their 60s or older, but many others are as young as their early to mid-50s.
Many of those Gen X buyers, those born in 1965 and after, are still working and are very active. They don’t see themselves as retirees, and they want to live in a community that aligns with their stage of life.
Any marketing efforts targeting Gen X buyers must reflect this, said Jeff McQueen, President of Trilogy by Shea Homes.
“I think you gotta get into the psychology of how people view themselves. I think most people tend to view themselves as younger than they actually are mathematically by age. So, if we’re showing pictures of people that live in our communities that are in their mid-to-late 60s, that’s probably not really that attractive to people that are in their mid-50s,” he explained.
The importance of selling optionality
Trilogy communities are designed around active and social living, with trails and walkable connections linking homes to parks, wellness centers, pools, restaurants and other gathering spaces. Offerings range from longevity-focused dining and wellness classes to pickleball, bocce, resort-style pools, and a packed social calendar that encourages residents to connect.
Each community has the same base set of amenities, but the design varies based on local geography and offerings.
“We always start with the land itself, and what the land affords us. If we are near a natural forest or around a lake or adjacent to vineyards, those afford us different opportunities to weave in the local land into an amenity platform. But beyond that, there are a lot of commonalities in what we weave into the amenity package,” McQueen said. “It starts with connecting people through the trail system and making sure that there’s a common meeting place and a great restaurant on property.”
Trilogy communities are largely built for people who are still active and want to be social. However, McQueen emphasized that these buyers are drawn to optionality, a key part of the brand’s marketing pitch, which aligns with their “life unscripted” approach to lifestyle living.
“While we certainly have amenities and all kinds of socialization opportunities, you don’t have to necessarily participate in those. They’re not forced upon you. Just because there’s a schedule of events, that doesn’t mean that you’re required to go to a class,” McQueen said.
“We’re thinking about how we deliver more of a ‘life unscripted’ message to the Gen X demographic. It starts with, ‘Hey, you’ve got access to all this stuff, and you can pick and choose it at your leisure’. This really becomes sort of a base camp where you can create the best version of how you want to live going forward,” he added.
Active adult lifestyle buyers may be less interest-rate sensitive than younger buyers with much less equity and savings, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t impacted by broader economic conditions. Despite steady demand, some buyers are taking a bit more time to think through their decision, only underscoring the importance of strong messaging.
“There’s a stereotype in the marketplace of 55-plus communities that we deliver a canned, formulaic approach to how you live. But that’s not really how our places live. So, we’ve got to message a little bit differently, and a little bit more articulately, to the Gen Xers, so that they understand they can live a very personalized, individually curated life in our communities,” McQueen said.
