Active Adult Communities on an Advertising Blitz

March 18 – Maybe it is the softer market for real estate and active adult communities. It could be a bold move to capture market share when many real estate developers are down. Or perhaps it is just an awakening to the possibilities. Whatever the reasons, a number of leading active adult communities have been on an advertising tear lately, placing their ads in venues where they haven’t been seen before.

Leading the charge has been The Villages, the active adult behemoth south of Ocala, FL. Anybody who has been watching golf on network television lately has been exposed to their messages many times by now. In Topretirements’ experience, this is the first time that a retirement community has gone to national television to look for prospects.

They also seem to have a big presence at some of the baby boomer websites such as eons.com. (we are waiting for them to see the light and advertise at Topretirements!)

Many other active adult communities are relying on the most successful new media, paid search. Go to any web page having to do with retirement communities or active adult communities, and you will see those nice little ads on the side from Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Lake Ashton, Robson, and Bellavita are some of the leading advertisers we have seen using this media.

The most prolific advertiser of them all is Erickson Communities. Not only do they seem to have an endless stream of press releases and ubiquitous newspapers, but they also have their own retirement TV channel – Retirement Living TV.

Other advertisers are relying on old standbys like newspaper ads, billboards, and direct mail.

What does this all mean for you, the baby boomer who is looking for the right active adult or over 55 community? Other than being an interesting phenomenon, we think that all this new advertising says that active adult communities have arrived as a big business. It is also a statement that the big players are open for business, eager to court and attract you as a potential buyer. So it’s a good way for you to find out about the best places to retire, right from your armchair.

Here’s how to get information about how to advertise at Topretirements