Flexibility is the Future — The Future is Now

There is a shift regarding how people think about homes.

I read an interesting Twitter thread this weekend from @juliagalef at this link. Here is the thread.

1/ My fiancé and I have been living out of AirBnBs for the last nine months and it's just insane how much better it is than renting from a landlord

2/ You can actually read reviews of the place before you rent! The host has a strong incentive to address your questions and concerns! If it sucks, you don't have to stay very long! (Though it's never actually sucked)

3/ Signing a lease was always such a toss-up. Is it going to turn out there are bugs, or some other serious problem that wasn't obvious from a quick tour? Is the landlord going to ever call us back when the dryer breaks? Is he going to cheat us out of our security deposit?

4/ There was little way to know in advance. And as a result I was often loath to leave mediocre apartments because of the risk of getting stuck in a much worse apartment

5/ I don't think AirBnB is perfect, and I recognize that "Just live out of AirBnBs" isn't a workable long-term solution for most people, but man... it's really highlighted for me what a terrible customer experience renting an apartment is

6/ Some people asked about the cost compared to renting. Our situation's a little unusual since we were in SF, but everywhere we've stayed has been a lot nicer and cheaper than our tiny SF studio with no A/C, dishwasher or laundry

7/ Also loved this place in Carolina Beach, with a balcony overlooking the ocean...as you can tell I love being on bodies of water

8/ It does help a lot to be minimalist, which fortunately we both are... our belongings fit in three suitcases

As Alex pointed out recently on Forbes Real Estate Council: "Consumer needs and preferences are rapidly changing. What was relevant 12 months ago likely isn’t relevant or optimal today. Leaders across sectors can keep up with generational change and demographics by tracking behavioral shifts in life, work and play to see where the puck is going, disposing of historical norms. I started my company based on this method of synthesizing and forecasting consumer evolution."

There is a movement stirring.

~ Lawain