At the conclusion of 2019, prior to the Coronavirus changing the way we live and work, Millennials – those born between 1981 and 1996 (turning 25 to 40 in 2021) – had a 47%1 share of primary home loan originations of the market.
As 2020 progressed, and office workers began working from home, with many arrangements now becoming permanent, Millennials seized on the opportunity provided by low rates to stop renting in expensive cities and purchase a home in an affordable suburban neighborhood or small town.5 This change has seen the year ending with Millennials now making over 60% of the home purchases.2
In 2021, a significant wave of millennials will be 30-353, the prime homebuying age for first-time buyers. How do you fill your pipeline with Millennial homebuyers and position yourself to capture their repeat business and referrals? Here is what we know about this group of homebuyers and how a custom-branded FinLocker can turn loan originators into trusted advisors with customers for life.
1 – Millennials are struggling to save for a down payment.
Student loans, car loans, credit card debt, and increasing rents make it difficult for most homebuyers to save for a down payment. Debt delays 75% of buyers aged 22 to 29 from saving for a down payment or buying a home for 1-3 years, and 48% of buyers aged 30 to 39 years are delayed 5 or more years.4 Yet for 85% of buyers aged 22 to 29 and 72% of buyers aged 30 to 39, their savings is the primary source for their down payment.4 To become a homeowner, Millennials first need to learn to manage their debt and start saving.
FinLocker can help millennials save for their down payment:
The FinLocker financial super-app provides practical budgeting and saving tools to keep Millennial homebuyers focused on their homeownership journey. Whenever there’s a change to their credit score, they keep their budgets on track (or get off track), and make progress towards achieving their savings goals, users will receive a notification through the FinLocker mobile app.
2 – Millennials are burdened by student debt.
According to the National Association of Realtors, 76% of consumers claim student debt impacts their ability to purchase a home5; 38% of homebuyers aged 30 to 39 years have student debt with a median amount of $34,000.4
Student debt often affects a homebuyer’s debt-to-income ratio, contributing to a low credit score. These two factors were cited by 55% of buyers aged 22 to 29, and 67% of buyers aged 30 to 39 as the reason their mortgage application was rejected.4
FinLocker can help millennials overcome their student loan debt:
Rather than turn away over half of your Millennial clients for not being mortgage ready, nurture them with a FinLocker. When your clients enroll their credit and debit accounts, the FinLocker Spending Analysis will categorize each transaction to identify where they can cut back on spending, pay down their student debt and credit cards, and begin to save for their down payment. With regular engagement, FinLocker customers will start to see their credit score improve and their debt-to-income ratio lower.
3 – Millennials are tech-savvy and expect their homebuying vendors to be, too.
Millennials are keenly aware of the convenience of online shopping, digital tools, and apps. They expect the vendors involved in their home buying transaction to provide the same convenience. The first step of most millennial homebuyers as they begin the home buying process is to look online for properties for sale (43%), followed by looking online for information about the home buying process (17%), with few (7%) contacting a bank or mortgage lender first.4
FinLocker can help you to attract and engage tech-savvy millennials:
Target your online marketing to Millennial homebuyers who are early in their homebuying process. Promote the offer to give first-time homebuyers a free financial super-app, aka your custom-branded FinLocker, to every new client that gets pre-qualified. Once they are pre-qualified and you’ve identified any impediments to them purchasing a home in the short term, invite your clients to create a FinLocker to interact with the app’s financial tools to correct the barriers you identified.
4 – Millennials need assistance overcoming the most difficult steps of the home buying process.
Millennial homebuyers in 2020 cited “finding the right property,” “paperwork,” “understanding the process and steps,” and “saving for the down payment” as the four most difficult steps of the home buying process. What’s more, 63% of Millennials found the home they purchased on the internet.4 The internet is filled with websites that Millennials can use to obtain homeownership education, but if they stumble across the lead gen resources created by your competition, how likely are they to return to you for their mortgage?
FinLocker can help millennials get mortgage ready:
A custom branded FinLocker will help you remain top of mind with your borrowers as they engage with the app to address each step in the home buying process. When they’ve saved their down payment and have taken the readiness assessment, they can begin their Property Search in the app. FinLocker also provides secure Document storage, so the homebuyer can securely transfer their financial documents and assets to their loan officer when they are ready to complete their mortgage application.
5 – Millennials can be a top referral source.
An investment in customer satisfaction is an investment in your company’s future. Satisfied clients are more loyal and will be the promoters of your business. In 2020, 87% of consumers began their lender search with a referral or an existing relationship.6 How will you become the mortgage lender your clients recommend to their homebuying friends and colleagues? Stand apart from the competition by becoming a trusted advisor who provided your Millennial clients with the financial tools to improve their credit score, help them save for their down payment, and ultimately increased their purchasing power.
FinLocker can help your millennial homebuyers become customers for life:
Client engagement with your custom-branded FinLocker doesn’t end at the closing table. Homeowners can continue engaging with their FinLocker indefinitely as they save for future home repairs, build an emergency fund, and plan to achieve their next financial goals. As the provider of this useful financial tool, you’ll remain their lending contact, keeping you top-of-mind when they are asked for a referral to their mortgage lender.
1 Realtor.com, Q4 2019 Generational Propensity Report: Generation Z Enters the Housing Market
2 Ellie Mae, Ellie Mae Millennial Tracker
3 Deloitte Insights, U.S. Census Bureau International Demographics via Haver Analytics
4 National Association of REALTORS®, 2020 NAR Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends
5 National Association of REALTORS®, The Impact of Financial Literacy on Homeownership: Student Loan Impact
6 STRATMOR Group, How to Become the Mortgage Lending Choice of Millennials
