Like Social Workers and Nurses, working with a senior living placement agent is like working with Angels. They fill a vital role and have developed a very special skill set to work with families in senior transition. Our hats are off to you!!
It isn’t easy work, but you have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re providing significant value and peace of mind to people who need it most. As Real Estate Senior Transition Specialists in the Houston area, we work with senior living placement agents every day. Those who are the most successful can:
- Show true empathy
- Build trust with the client and family
- Provide resources and options based on the family’s needs
- Make the road to senior transition clear of obstacles
- Follow up, keep in touch with the client and family
But, just like any industry, there are a few who can’t or won’t do what’s needed for the best possible experience.
An article in a recent senior housing industry magazine talked about an experience one senior placement agent had that showed a lack of compassion by a business partner.
“I can tell you, the lowest moment in my long career was when a VP of sales for a major provider told me, ‘I don’t pay you to offer families a better experience, I pay you to fill my beds.’”
People have their eyes and ears wide open when they evaluate a place for their parents to live. This responsibility weighs heavily on the. You can believe that this kind of attitude will come across to residents as well, in interviews and on tours. In this situation, it can make your job as a senior living placement agent, much harder. And, most importantly, it can put a stop on a transition to senior care for those who need it most.
Being sure that the trust and values presented by the senior placement agent is seen (and felt) in the Senior living community is critical. Focus only on business partners who reflect how you go about your work to help give clients a better experience.
You may say that it’s hard to change the mindset of a care provider. That may be true. But there are areas where you can have more control.
A great example is when a family must sell their home to pay for the transition to a senior care community. As you know, this brings with it an emotional component that must be understood and respected.
The best partners make your life, and the life of your clients, easier
Real estate agents are good at what they do, but they won’t take any burdens off your client. In fact, they’ll add a laundry list of action items to get the house ready for sale. Requests such as “remodel this, remove that”, and requiring numerous open houses. And your clients end up spending a lot of money in the process.
These become your action items, too, because you can’t move the transition forward until your client’s long list of expensive items are tackled. Emotions run higher than ever as the placement transition loses steam.
Senior living placement agents can offer clients a better experience
What if, instead of a realtor, you partnered with someone who can actually purchase that property from your client? How would that give your clients a better experience?
Most realtors we speak to aren’t interested in doing it, they call it a “difficult and time-consuming project”. But specialized transition specialists, like Ohana Legacy Properties in the Houston area, are certified to buy houses. And partners like Ohana Legacy Properties share your dedication to finding solutions for families, with team members who are passionate about serving seniors and understand the emotional issues that come with selling their homes filled with loved possessions.
The Senior Transition Specialists at Ohana Legacy Properties can take a huge burden off the backs of your clients. They remove the emotional and physical drain of prepping their house for sale. And they help guide them through the transition with compassion and dignity.
And for senior living placement agents, it means a move-in can occur within weeks, not months. What would that mean to you, the community, and the family?
But that’s just one example. It’s time to look at all of your partners
As a senior living placement agent, you’ve worked hard to provide your clients with a better experience as they transition. Your partners should be working just as hard.
For each of them, ask yourself these questions:
- Do they put the prospective resident’s needs first?
- How do they help you provide a better experience for your client?
- Are they providing solutions or creating hurdles?
There are caring people, like Ohana Legacy Properties, who are focused on providing the best solution for families and offering them (and you) a better experience at this very important and delicate moment in their life. If you’re partnering with people and organizations that aren’t offering this type of kindhearted care, don’t hesitate to make a change. You do have options.
When everyone is working together to benefit your client, your placements will be faster, less disruptive, and more respectful of the families you so unselfishly serve.
Besides, these are someone’s parents we are talking and caring about!!