SELLING: Disabilities

Access for All

BY NADINE O. VOGEL

Home buyers weigh many factors when trying to find the perfect house. But for your customers with special needs—those who have a disability or a family mem-ber with one—the amount and type of information required are significantly more, posing both a challenge and an opportunity for you.

Fifty-four million American adults have some form of disability, whether cognitive, developmental, medical, or physical, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, a 2005 study by Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. found there were more than 23 million parents with at least one child between the ages of 5 and 16 with a disability. (I myself have two children with special needs.)

Many families who have children and other dependents with special needs have the same income, assets, and homeownership dreams as the general population. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates adult consumers with disabilities account for more than $1 trillion in annual income and more than $200 billion in discretionary spending each year.

On the other hand, the issues unique to a person with special needs are often the most difficult part of the home-buying or relocation process. I’ve known individuals who’ve turned down a job promotion that required relocation. That’s because the real estate professionals or relocation companies they contacted in the new community were unable to provide information on facilities and services available for people with disabilities, and family members didn’t have time to conduct the research themselves.

New Business Opportunity

Practitioners often tell me they haven’t actively marketed to this segment of the population because they rarely encounter buyers with special needs. Yet, seven out of 10 Americans are either directly impacted by a disability or have a family member, friend, or associate who has a disability, according to Halftheplanet.com, a resource site with information on children with disabilities. Marketing to this segment of the population is not only the right thing to do but also a very good thing to do from a revenue-generation standpoint.

Only 7 percent of adults with disabilities are home owners today, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That figure is beginning to grow because of the increase in programs geared to helping people with disabilities buy a home. For instance, the state of New York has a program called Home of Your Own, which makes funds available for low-interest mortgage loans to first-time home buyers with developmental disabilities. In Colorado there’s a similar program called the Hero Alliance; in Illinois it’s called The Home Ownership Coalition for People With Disabilities. Even Fannie Mae has got into the act with its Home Choice product to address the specific home-buying needs of moderate- and low-income disabled borrowers.

There are differences in working with the special-needs community. For example, we’ve all heard the phrase “location, location, location” used in describing the important criteria — a home’s view or a neighborhood’s top-ranked school system — for finding a new home. But for the prospect whose child has cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or a learning disability, that phrase most often means access to a school system with high-quality special education services. The situation gets even more complex if the family has more than one child, each with different educational needs.

If you’re interested in providing a high level of service to the special-needs community, enroll in a training program or read about working with that market segment. For example, you’ll learn that a house on a high-traffic road wouldn’t appeal to someone with an autistic child who tends to wander off and that a split-level home would be inappropriate for a family whose child uses a wheelchair. The National Organization on Disability lists programs and resources.

Once you understand the needs of this segment, use these marketing ideas:

• Assemble a local resource guide specifically for families who have children or other dependents with special needs that includes information on community resources, employment, transportation, and recreational, medical, and educational facilities and services.
  
• Expand your Web site’s content. For example, list locations of accessible parks and top-rated medical facilities, as well as contacts for parent support groups, transition services for parents with teenagers, postsecondary education offerings for students with special needs, and supported employment opportunities. Also include information on local public transportation services that accommodate the disabled.
  
• Develop strategic alliances with local special-needs nonprofit organizations and support groups.
  
• Make this audience aware of your interest and capabilities in regard to their unique needs. Hold a home buying seminar on the resources your community offers the special-needs community, or volunteer to speak to support groups or at conferences for people living with disabilities.
  
• Be mindful of the accessibility and design of your office. For instance, make sure space between furniture and aisles can accommodate wheelchairs.
  
  

The home-buying process is a particularly daunting challenge for families who have children or other dependents with special needs. With a bit of preparation and training, you can ease that burden significantly and grow new business opportunities. For the families being served, your support will mean the world.

Vogel is president of Mendham, N.J.–based Springboard Consulting LLC, which works with companies to develop marketing strategies and internal programs for individuals with special needs and their families. You can reach her at 973/813-7260 or nadine@consultspringboard.com.

MORE ONLINE

Resources for Clients with Disabilities

NAR’s Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Kit (REALTOR.org login and password required)

NAR’s Field Guide to Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)