We have heard so much about the millennial generation, young adults born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. Through the media and conversations with those from older generations, you hear concern for their work ethic, their spending habits, and their quest for a balanced life.
After all is said and done, though, it appears to me that Millennials are a lot like us! My experience with them in the commercial real estate business has been positive. They want to find something they will love doing and are motivated to be successful.
Sure, there are some in their late 20s who still live at home. But for the most part, they are excited to step into their lives and do what it takes to be successful. They are a well-educated bunch.
Like us, Millennials reflect back on the lives of their parents and ask, “What would I have done differently?” From that comes what makes them unique. Many people from my generation had parents with limited or no wealth but were building it. I believe that many of the Millennials I meet today come from a wealthier background than I remember having. Most of us had to work in high school. You don’t see that as much with this group.
There are a multitude of demographics within this group that I am not recognizing with these observations. However, I believe that overall, the kids in this group grew up with more options and luxuries than those of Baby Boomers.
So, what does all of that mean? I don’t know. What I do know is that people are still driven to do something they enjoy and want to live a better life than their parents did.
The bottom line is, the Millennials are our future. They will endeavor to do things in a more meaningful way. They have dreams just like we do. So when it comes to hiring and motivating these young professionals, I’ll take as many as I can get.
Mike Geisler is co-founder of Venture Commercial Real Estate, one of the leading retail brokerage services firms Texas. Contact him at [email protected].
