The U.S. Armed Services are one of the nation’s largest employers, meaning they constitute a substantial population of homeowners and prospective homeowners. Real estate agents across the country recognize this and are working on strategies to attract veterans as potential clients.
For this reason, we have included some real estate blog ideas to help you improve your connection with veterans interested in the real estate market.
1. Why you are an expert
The first blog idea you should consider is an article explaining your knowledge base and expertise in veteran-centered home buying or selling.
As the old saying goes, “No one cares what you have to say until they know you care.” It is essential to fully articulate why you are an expert in this field and how you can help a veteran.
Many real estate agents overlook this seemingly simple idea because they believe their general credentials have enough appeal. However, when working with a specific group like veterans, they want to know about your niche background working with military members and not your ability to help the general public.
2. Explanations of VA home loans
Most veterans know about the VA-backed home loan, but fewer veterans understand what that entails. Don’t be hesitant to fully explain the process a veteran would follow to receive the VA-backed home loan, such as choosing a private lender and negotiating lender fees. The simpler you can explain the process, the better. Veterans are already overwhelmed with the prospect of buying a home, so they will appreciate having the loan process explained in an easy-to-digest manner.
3. Moving benefits
Some benefits of buying/selling a home as a veteran are the moving benefits available to them. For active-duty military service members, they have two options. They can utilize a military-focused moving company or perform the move themselves.
If they decide to use a moving company, the military covers the total cost. If they handle the move themselves, the military will reimburse them up to 95% of the projected cost of the military moving company.
While the latter option requires more work on the part of the veteran, they could profit from military discounts through companies like Penske, Budget, etc.
4. Disability housing grants
Unfortunately, many veterans suffer from disabilities sustained during their service. Fortunately, several different types of disability housing grants that disabled veterans find beneficial.
The Specially Adapted Housing grant allows veterans who are homeowners or soon-to-be homeowners to allocate the awarded money to making their homes more accessible, such as a wheelchair ramp or stair lift.
Additionally, a Temporary Residence Adaptation grant awards veterans who may require additional accessibility while living with family. These grants can significantly improve a veteran’s living conditions while working with an agent to purchase a home or property to build a house.
5. Service Members Civil Relief Act
Due to the nature of their service, veterans often have to pick up and move at a moment’s notice. Because of this, the Service Members Civil Relief Act helps protect their real estate rights.
As an agent, describing the benefits of this act, including protection against eviction, mortgage rate caps, prepaid rent, etc., can benefit the prospective client and show your intent to provide an honest, dedicated service.
In such a fast-paced, ever-changing profession, veterans want to know they are financially protected, and they will appreciate an agent who understands their lifestyle and can help them secure the right living situation for them.
6. Hot markets near bases
As with any client, veterans want to know about the markets that interest them, which often involves proximity to a military base.
Being able to inform the veteran about the real estate market surrounding their base of interest helps them get a better sense of the area and shows them that you are up-to-date on markets important to veterans.
Some veterans prefer to live close to the base to limit the commute, while others prefer to live further away to separate home and work. Staying informed about the surrounding market can help your clients explore more options and lead to a greater buying rate.
As mentioned above, veterans make up a sizable portion of potential home buyers and have exclusive loans to help facilitate that purchase.
So, we encourage you to utilize any or all of these strategies to help you increase your engagement with veterans.
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