Why do Boston’s millennials need their own real estate agency?
Vibe Residential wants to help 19- to 34-year-olds find an apartment from realtors who know what they are going through.
A lot of young people live in Boston, as the flood of returning college students makes impossible to ignore. But not all young people are looking for the same thing, and many recent graduates want to leave their college living situations behind them, as The Boston Globe writes in a recent story:
“After years of grimy kitchens and collegiate debauchery, they’re looking for somewhere clean and a little more quiet. They want to be downtown, close to the T, or preferably within walking distance of work. Maybe near a bar they can make their own — something classy, though, not a rowdy pub. As for amenities, many want laundry machines in the building. Dishwashers are key. Some hope for granite countertops before realizing that may be out of their price range.’’
Enter Vibe Residential and its founder, 23-year-old Nike John, whom the Globe says “wants to leverage her youth and help her peers ‘find their spot.’’’
Vibe officially opened its doors September 1, hoping to provide an alternative to many students and young professionals sick of looking on Facebook and Craigslist to find a new home.
The first question you might ask is: Why do 19- to 34-year-olds, John’s key demographic, need their own real estate brokerage? Are they really so different from everyone else, who get along just fine with the thousands of agents already at work in Boston?
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Photos from Allston Christmas 2015:
“What we are trying to do is give the full customer service experience to people that don’t have the budget,’’ John explained by way of an answer. “If you buy a luxury home your agent is always available and you get a welcome gift.’’
If you are on the lower end of the apartment price range or moving on the crazy September 1st day, you might not get the attention you need.
John, having gone through this process herself, says one of Vibe’s defining characteristics is empathy.
“One thing we are trying to push is our age,’’ John, who just graduated from Northeastern in May, told Boston.com. “I know what landlords are like.’’
If you rent or buy with Vibe, John said that you will get a welcome package of sorts, with a “necessity guide’’ to learn around restaurants, bars, gyms, and other amenities in your new neighborhood.
Vibe Residential is having their launch party on October 7th, where they are also set to release a real estate phone app to do roommate matching.
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