When it comes to housing in 2015, all eyes are on Gen Y. If you’re ignoring Gen X, however, you may be missing a major opportunity for your business.

Baby Boomer agents have struggled with how to understand the Gen X consumer. Major differences in the Gen X “do-it-yourself” approach and the Baby Boomer agent’s need to be in control have caused many Boomer agents to focus elsewhere. If you have chosen to ignore Gen X in your business, here are some important reasons why you may want to rethink your decision.

About three to six months before your 50th birthday, you will receive an unwelcome surprise in the mail: your AARP card (The American Association of Retired Persons). This year, the first wave of Gen X members (those born between 1965 and 1980) will receive those cards.

As Gen X hits their 50s, many will struggle with how to fund their retirement. You can assist them with this dilemma by showing them how to use an investment property to achieve this goal. To illustrate this point, if a Gen Xer purchases an investment property at age 50 with a 15-year, break-even mortgage, at age 65 the cash flow from that asset can fund a big chunk of their retirement.

The prime time for second home purchases takes place between the ages of 50 and 60. Although the bulk of this market is still dominated by Baby Boomers, many successful Gen X homeowners will begin looking for that ideal vacation property that can double for their retirement dream home later.

As Gen X turns 50, they are much more likely to be caught in the “sandwich,” i.e. supporting their elderly parents while also continuing to support their children, often adults who have moved back home. In order to better accommodate the needs of their multi-generational household, the family caught in the sandwich is often forced to sell. According to NAR, “13 percent of buyers purchased a multi-generational home due to the cost savings, children over the age of 18 moving back into the house, and health and caretaking of again parents.”

Small In Numbers, Mighty In Purchasing Activity

According the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Baby Boomers, Millennials and Gen Z (approximately age 15 and younger) each compose roughly 24 percent of the population. Gen X composes only about 12 percent of the population, while the Greatest Generation has about 16 percent of the population.

According to NAR, buyers between the ages of 25 to 34 still represent the largest percentage (28 percent) of individuals purchasing homes. This is to be expected, as Gen Y is currently the largest generation.

What’s fascinating, however, is that although Boomers and Gen Y each outnumber Gen X by a ratio of approximately 2:1, Gen X represents 20 percent of all buyer sales. In other words, although each of the other generations has twice as many members as Gen X, Gen X is purchasing at a much higher rate per capita than any other age group.

Part of the reason for the high rate of purchasing among Gen X is their strong desire to become a homeowner. According to a survey conducted by FHMLC (Freddie Mac) in December 2014 that asked consumers, “In the next three years, do you expect to continue renting or purchase home?,” 58 percent said that they expected to purchase. Only 47 percent of the group ages 25-34 intended to purchase and 31 percent of less of the remaining age groups indicated they would be purchasing.

For those Gen X’ers who had children early, the last of their children may be graduating from high school. To help pay for college (and to keep their kids from moving back home), many parents are opting to move into something smaller once their last child graduates from high school. And some parents are electing to move to the town where their child is attending college.

Marketing To Gen X

The easiest way to target market Gen X is to use REI Source. This service provides title companies with a wide variety of demographic data right down to the types of magazines people read. Title companies can sell this data to you at their cost, which is usually less than 10 cents per name. Target by age, income level, location, career or any of a host of other factors.

If you’re not paying attention to Gen X, now is a great time to take a second look. The probability that Gen X will be buying or selling real estate in the next three years is greater on a per capita basis than for any other group – take advantage of it!