Real estate is for people of all ages. As we age, sometimes our lifestyle and living situations need to change. Today’s guest, Bobbi Decker, joins Monica on the show today to talk about the Seniors Real Estate Specialist Designation® (SRES®) and what kinds of things you will learn in the class when you get the designation. As we work with our mature clients, it’s not about the transaction — it’s about helping them with their next lifestyle. Bobbi, who has now been in real estate for 35 years, got started working with mature clients when some of her first clients came back to her looking for new solutions as they began to age. For many of her clients, she’s been part of their story as she’s helped them with their lifestyle changes. One of the things that are important to her is to help make sure that as her clients age, they don’t get ripped off and lose what they’ve spent a lifetime building. As a REALTOR® working with mature adults, you’ll likely encounter some from the GI generation, the silent generation, and the Baby Boomers. Having been raised in different times, they are each looking for different things and approach transactions in a different way. Those in the silent generation are generally stoic and reserved, and risk-averse. Baby Boomers, on the other hand, are really redefining what it means to retire. While Bobbi doesn’t plan on ever retiring, many Baby Boomers are getting to the age of retirement, turning 65 at the rate of 10,000 per day. Some of them have saved up their money, but others have spent their funds traveling, supporting kids and grandkids, and their finances aren’t quite what they hoped going into retirement. Bobbi has a friend who is developing retirement communities in Central America that will offer affordable retirement housing for mature clients. Bobbi has been traveling around to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Nicaragua to see some of the locations for these retirement communities. Bobbi shares some of the things to be aware of if you’re interested in purchasing some of this international real estate. The biggest thing is the infrastructure in some of these countries: making sure the water gets connected, and you actually have hot and cold running water. You also want to make sure you know of the local customs and expectations, as well as tax laws. Getting help from a REALTOR® who is connected with NAR can help you get the answers you need. Not everyone wants to retire outside of the United States. There are still many options for people wanting to change their lifestyle after retirement. Many of the older clients are looking for places where they can get a little extra help, like nursing homes or assisted care. These types of communities have really come along as well, and they’re changing for the older generations because of the Baby Boomers who are worried about their parents. Some of these new facilities are very nice, but they can be expensive. Some people will use the money locked up in their current house to help pay for retirement living. Where Monica lives in Tennessee, there are several different options for senior living — independent living, assisted living — and these are financed in different ways. If you’re looking for a place to live after retirement, don’t be afraid to ask questions about what’s going on in your community. There are affordable options for everyone. Being surrounded by some kind of community can also help increase quality of life in retirement. For agents, when you’re working with mature clients who are looking for senior living, there usually isn’t payment for agents to help in these situations. But the marketing departments at assisted living and retirement centers are very nice and are usually willing to work with REALTORS® to answer questions and learn about options. The SRES® coursework is meant to help teach real estate professionals how to help their 50+ aged clients. It’s not always about age — it’s about a stage of life and need of the individual. Whe