Move over neighbor: Word of mouth is no longer relevant to the Millennial Generation

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By USDR

The Home Industry Leadership Board (HILB) released today nationwide survey* results from its first annual Homeowner Mood & Mindset survey. The survey reveals homeowners’ attitudes towards researching, hiring and working with home service professionals.

“A goal of the survey was to examine how the new generation of homeowners approaches the hiring process as compared to the older generation of homeowners,” said Chris Teriill, HILB president and CEO of HomeAdvisor. “This information helps to identify opportunities to improve the hiring process for homeowners and service professionals, especially as it relates to the Millennial Generation.”

Highlights from the survey:

The most important criteria to homeowners of all ages in hiring home improvement professionals are good reviews and trusted references.
The Millennial Generation’s affinity for technology is apparent in the hiring process, as they prefer their home improvement professional to contact them via text or email rather than phone or in person.
The Millennial Generation prefers to get recommendations on service professionals from Internet sources such as Yelp and HomeAdvisor rather than referrals by friends and family or from direct mail sources such as mailers.
Compared to other age segments, the Millennial Generation is the least satisfied with their experience in hiring a professional. Getting estimates and setting appointments with professionals are main points of frustration for this age group.

“Working with millennial homeowners presents a unique set of challenges for businesses,” said Christopher Toleman, HILB vice president and Co-Owner of Aracon Construction. “It’s best to assume the millennial is somewhat of an expert in his/her mind since they have already done their research and checked out your company’s reputation, products and services, and are ready to do business with you when you show up at the door.”

This survey was taken by 1000 homeowners who had hired a professional in the last year for a home project. The survey examined how a homeowner’s age impacts their experience and likeliness to hire and work with a service professional, what factors influence a homeowner’s decision to hire, and how attitudes towards green building affect hiring decisions.

HILB is a nonprofit organization focused on bridging the gap between homeowners and service professionals through the collaboration of leading home industry associations, manufacturers and home industry leaders. To view the complete survey,infographic or for more information on HILB, visit the website.