Key facts
- Homes owned by individuals 65 and older constitute roughly one-third of U.S. housing stock.
- Homeowners aged 55 and older own more than half of U.S. homes.
- Baby Boomers hold an estimated $17 trillion or more in home equity.
- More than half of homes owned by Baby Boomers were built in 1980 or earlier.
- Estate clearing is increasingly a precondition for selling inherited or downsized homes.
- The estate sale industry is fragmented, lacking reliable vetting for providers.
The real estate industry has long anticipated a significant increase in housing inventory as the population ages, a phenomenon often referred to as the "silver tsunami." However, recent data suggests this wave may not materialize as predicted, with homes that do come to market often in poor condition and filled with belongings. This presents a challenge for real estate agents, as properties typically require extensive clearing and preparation before they can be listed.
Demographic trends underscore the significance of this issue: adults aged 65 and older own approximately one-third of U.S. homes, while those 55 and older own more than half. Baby Boomers, in particular, hold substantial home equity and were the largest group of home sellers in the past year. A significant portion of these homes were built before 1980 and have not seen substantial updates, necessitating a thorough estate sale process.
This process often falls to adult children who may live out of state and are dealing with grief or crisis, leading to transaction delays. The article argues that estate clearing should be treated as a scheduled phase of the listing process, not an afterthought. It suggests that real estate agents should build standing referral relationships with vetted estate sale companies to ensure dependable service, rather than relying on ad-hoc searches.
Furthermore, the estate sale industry itself is urged to adopt greater professionalism, including a clear online presence, transparent pricing, and verifiable standards, to better integrate with the broader housing transaction process. The author, Simone Kelly, founder and CEO of Estate Sales Near Me, emphasizes that while the "silver tsunami" may be a gradual shift, preparing inherited or downsized homes for sale is a multidisciplinary task that requires better planning and connections within the industry.