July 7, 2025
449: The Real Estate Shift Shaking Private Clubs w/ Jason Becker
The ground is shifting beneath private golf clubs, and not everyone sees it coming. In this eye-opening conversation with Jason Becker, founder of Golf Life Navigators, we peel back the curtain on dramatic changes reshaping the private club landscape across the Sunbelt and beyond.
Remember those endless waitlists and lightning-fast home sales in golf communities? That reality is fading fast. Home prices have dropped 10-15% in many golf communities while inventory has doubled or even tripled. Buyers who once made decisions in weeks now spend months meticulously comparing options. The result? Clubs that proudly displayed "waitlist only" signs are suddenly scrambling to sell memberships again.
Jason reveals fascinating data points that club leaders need to understand: 90% of consumers combine their club and home search, yet nearly half prefer living outside community gates - a major shift from pandemic preferences. Today's buyers prioritize breakfast services, modern fitness facilities, wellness programming, and poolside amenities over traditional selling points like signature golf holes.
What's driving this transformation? We're more than halfway through the Baby Boomer retirement wave, with only 5-6 years remaining before Gen X becomes the primary market. Clubs clinging to reputation and tradition while ignoring changing preferences are setting themselves up for trouble. The solution isn't slashing initiation fees (a mistake many clubs made during the Great Recession), but rather crafting compelling value propositions centered on culture, community, and innovative service offerings.
Whether you're a club leader wondering why your waitlist is shrinking, a membership director seeking fresh marketing approaches, or simply curious about the future of private clubs, this conversation provides a roadmap for navigating the significant changes already underway. The clubs that thrive won't necessarily be those with the most prestigious golf courses, but those creating the most vibrant, service-oriented communities.
Follow us on the socials
Private Club Radio Instagram
Private Club Radio Linkedin
Denny Corby Instagram
Denny Corby Linkedin
00:00 - Private Club Real Estate Market Shift
07:11 - Real Estate Slowdown Impact on Clubs
13:52 - Wait Lists Evaporating, Inventory Doubling
19:57 - Living Outside vs Inside Golf Gates
26:36 - Service-Based Amenities Future
32:32 - Club Membership Fees and Marketing
WEBVTT
00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:14.605
Hey everybody, welcome to the Private Club Radio Show, where we give you the scoop on all things private golf and country clubs, from mastering leadership and management, food and beverage excellence, member engagement secrets, board governance and everything in between, all while keeping it fun and light.
00:00:14.605 --> 00:00:20.289
Whether you're a club veteran just getting your feet wet or somewhere in the middle, you are in the right place.
00:00:20.289 --> 00:00:22.044
I'm your host, denny Corby.
00:00:22.044 --> 00:00:23.489
Welcome to the show.
00:00:23.489 --> 00:00:31.138
In this episode I am chatting with a longtime friend of mine and the show's here, jason Becker from Golf Life Navigators.
00:00:31.138 --> 00:00:45.048
If you've been hearing whispers about softening golf real estate prices, exploding inventory and clubs quietly freaking out behind there, we've got a waitlist sign because today's episode is going to confirm everything you suspected and then some.
00:00:45.048 --> 00:00:54.167
And the guy I call when I want all the unfiltered scoop on what's really happening in the world of private golf real estate, we have Jason Becker.
00:00:54.167 --> 00:01:04.290
We get into it all the home prices in golf communities, especially across the Sunbelt, down 10 to 15 percent In 90 percent.
00:01:04.290 --> 00:01:10.426
And buyers they are shopping smarter, slower and looking for more than just manicured fairways.
00:01:10.426 --> 00:01:28.287
And jason walks us through what this all means for clubs, especially those relying on reputation and tradition to carry the day and, spoiler alert, it's not working like it used to because we are diving into the 2025 mid-year buying trends report from golf life navigators, which, by the way, is stacked with insights if you haven't gotten it yet, you like it used to, as we are diving into the 2025 mid-year buying trends report from Golf Life Navigators, which, by the way, is stacked with insights.
00:01:28.287 --> 00:01:30.460
If you haven't gotten it yet, you need to get it.
00:01:30.460 --> 00:01:35.090
Eight out of 10 buyers are hunting for a club and a house at the same time.
00:01:35.090 --> 00:01:50.055
Nearly half of them want to live outside the gates which is interesting and they are prioritizing things like breakfast services, modern fitness facilities, wellness programming and even poolside food and beverage over traditional selling points.
00:01:50.055 --> 00:01:57.171
Jason is breaking it down what clubs need to rethink, where the opportunities are popping up and how to stay ahead of the curve.
00:01:57.171 --> 00:01:58.013
So buckle up.
00:01:58.200 --> 00:02:04.754
This episode has got the strategy market scoop and a few hot takes you may or may not agree with.
00:02:04.754 --> 00:02:09.707
Before we get to the episode, though, a quick shout out Thank you to some of our show partners.
00:02:09.707 --> 00:02:13.751
If you're interested in learning about them more, make sure you check them out.
00:02:13.751 --> 00:02:21.510
We have Kenneth's member vetting Golf Life Navigators Members First Concert Golf Partners, as well as myself, the Denny Corby Experience.
00:02:21.510 --> 00:02:23.443
There's excitement, there's mystery.
00:02:23.443 --> 00:02:25.510
Also there's magic, mind reading and comedy.
00:02:25.510 --> 00:02:28.026
A ton of laughs, gasps and holy craps.
00:02:28.026 --> 00:02:31.287
If you wanna learn more, head on over to dennycorbycom.
00:02:32.420 --> 00:02:44.105
And, while you're searching the webs, if you have not heard or are thinking about coming to Management in Motion my club leadership and management event happening September 21st you gotta check it out.
00:02:44.105 --> 00:02:49.442
Privateclubcom slash MIM for Management in Motion.
00:02:49.442 --> 00:03:07.848
It's a full day of driving BMWs, autox, drag racing, drifting, go-karts, so much more, with real leadership, education in management woven in perfectly from other GMs, club professionals who do stuff on the track and how that relates to club leadership and management.
00:03:07.848 --> 00:03:12.768
It is going to be absolutely epic 50 seats and there's only 18 seats left.
00:03:12.768 --> 00:03:13.670
Cannot wait.
00:03:13.670 --> 00:03:15.905
Privateclubcom slash MIM.
00:03:15.905 --> 00:03:17.751
Enough about all that, though.
00:03:17.751 --> 00:03:19.485
Let's get straight to the goods.
00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:31.140
Private Club Radio listeners, let's welcome back on the show our friend from Golf Life Navigators, jason Becker.
00:03:31.140 --> 00:03:31.963
I'm not a real estate guy by any means.
00:03:31.963 --> 00:03:32.625
I don't have a crystal ball.
00:03:32.625 --> 00:03:33.807
I don't own a second or third home in Naples I wish.
00:03:33.807 --> 00:03:35.513
I barely understand mortgage math.
00:03:35.513 --> 00:03:44.843
But I'm here with Jason Becker, the guy behind Gulf Life Navigators, and he sends me an email that starts with hey, there's been a shift.
00:03:44.843 --> 00:03:47.441
And then I see news work.
00:03:47.441 --> 00:03:52.513
Newsweek is basically screaming Florida real estate is in trouble, and now I am listening.
00:03:52.513 --> 00:04:03.399
So basically, today I have Jason Becker golf life navigators and we're diving into something that matters a lot more than clubs probably realize, and this just isn't about home prices.
00:04:03.399 --> 00:04:14.772
It's about who's moving, where they're moving, who's buying, how long they're taking to make a decision and what that means for your club's growth strategy over the next 6, 12, 18 plus months.
00:04:14.772 --> 00:04:17.947
Jason Becker, welcome to the show, thanks.
00:04:18.168 --> 00:04:18.771
Happy to be here.
00:04:18.771 --> 00:04:25.560
And full disclosure I'm not a realtor so I know just as much about it as you do, but I know what buyers want.
00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:32.209
No, you got the data, you got the scoop, you got the rub, you got the skinny 100%.
00:04:32.209 --> 00:04:38.011
So, yeah, all right.
00:04:38.011 --> 00:04:39.274
What in particular?
00:04:39.274 --> 00:04:39.855
Anything.
00:04:39.855 --> 00:04:41.786
So what's the end goal here?
00:04:41.786 --> 00:04:43.031
What are we?
00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:56.168
I think that for club officials you know, to understand what's going on in the marketplace is what we want to get to, Because at the end of the day, that's what they're not concerned about.
00:04:56.168 --> 00:05:00.634
But watching really closely, for sure I think we go down that road.
00:05:03.324 --> 00:05:22.747
Let's talk about the email that you sent me, because you did send me an email and I was like this seems important and then I actually called you immediately and I was like I'm no, you know, I know enough to be dangerous and I stick to my lanes, but this sounds important and you explained it to me and can you just give the quick scoop on kind of what's going on with private clubs and real estate right now?
00:05:23.108 --> 00:05:23.309
Sure.
00:05:23.309 --> 00:05:38.473
So, as you know, we're connected across the country with what we call a golf certified real estate agent, and these eight real estate agents are kind of specialized in golf home sales and work with golf buyers and listings and whatnot.
00:05:38.473 --> 00:05:43.572
And so we have access to what's going on in their world and so we do a lot of survey work.
00:05:43.572 --> 00:05:49.209
Access to what's going on in their world and so we do a lot of survey work.
00:05:49.209 --> 00:05:54.040
So a couple of months ago we started to feel from the consumer side that the transition times were getting a little bit longer.
00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:58.790
The past couple of years it's been like 9 to 12 months transition time.
00:05:58.790 --> 00:06:02.444
Looking at the data, it was going to like 12 to 16 months.
00:06:02.444 --> 00:06:03.668
So that was a flag.
00:06:03.668 --> 00:06:04.470
Why is that?
00:06:04.470 --> 00:06:07.161
And so I reached out to the agents.
00:06:07.161 --> 00:06:17.197
Agents kind of agreed their buyers are slowing down, and so we asked them why and it's boiling down to that the prices just got out of hand for a golf home.
00:06:17.197 --> 00:06:24.646
Um, and there was just a lack of inventory, so people who were selling their golf homes were able to put a hefty price tag on it.
00:06:24.646 --> 00:06:27.048
That was about a year ago.
00:06:27.067 --> 00:06:39.920
Today Now, what they're reporting is inventory has doubled, if not even tripled in a lot of communities, so up 100%.
00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:44.886
A golf community last year who might have had 10 homes for sale now has 20 to 30.
00:06:44.886 --> 00:06:46.987
Golf community last year who might have had 10 homes for sale now has 20 to 30.
00:06:46.987 --> 00:06:53.673
Prices have fallen, not significantly for golf homes, but around 5% to 10% in a lot of communities because of more inventory.
00:06:55.214 --> 00:06:55.495
Why?
00:06:55.495 --> 00:06:56.896
What's causing it?
00:06:56.896 --> 00:06:58.237
Just because more options, right.
00:06:58.237 --> 00:07:17.639
So if you were a consumer last year looking to buy a golf home in Naples and there was only five in a specific community that you want to live in or a club that you wanted to play, you paid a premium because you wanted to move, you wanted to make that you know that's your retirement or a second home, so you paid for it.
00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:23.100
But now that we have so many more listings, that gives the buyers more options and the sellers aren't.
00:07:23.100 --> 00:07:28.788
They've got to be a little bit more, you know, have a little bit more wiggle room with what they get out of their home.
00:07:28.788 --> 00:07:30.706
So it might start to fall a little bit.
00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:35.151
Is this more about sellers panicking or buyers pulling back?
00:07:36.841 --> 00:07:43.504
I don't think sellers are panicking, but buyers are definitely say, okay, no one wants to pay the peak level for anything.
00:07:43.504 --> 00:07:47.713
So buyers have said, okay, we're going to wait this out.
00:07:47.713 --> 00:07:50.406
A lot of it had to do with the election last year.
00:07:50.406 --> 00:07:58.091
They want to see what was going to pan out from that the macroeconomics of golf in general, with wait lists and initiation fees rising.
00:07:58.091 --> 00:08:02.151
So consumers just want to watch the market.
00:08:02.151 --> 00:08:10.553
And now they're coming back in full force, you know, back into the game of finding a golf home and a membership.
00:08:11.940 --> 00:08:14.168
Are buyers showing up differently now then?
00:08:14.168 --> 00:08:16.812
Like are they more picky, more price sensitive?
00:08:16.812 --> 00:08:18.319
Just confused.
00:08:19.242 --> 00:08:29.392
Well, yeah, it's hard for the real estate agents, especially so where, if you don't have a lot of options for the buyer, they can just choose one and move on.
00:08:29.392 --> 00:08:32.965
Well, no, there's tons of options, so it's more showings.
00:08:32.965 --> 00:08:33.903
It's well.
00:08:33.903 --> 00:08:36.510
This one has a brand new air conditioning unit.
00:08:36.510 --> 00:08:40.571
That one, the pool pump, is older than most.
00:08:40.571 --> 00:08:46.072
So the time of acquisition of these properties has gotten longer.
00:08:46.072 --> 00:08:50.793
It's like 60 to 90 days now, where a year or two years ago was 30 days.
00:08:50.793 --> 00:09:01.120
30 to 45 closings were happening from person who finds a home to you know, writing a check and closing on yeah, yeah, and this I don't.
00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:05.923
is this like is this a dumb question, like our clubs feeling this shift yet, or is it one of those?
00:09:05.923 --> 00:09:09.106
It's coming just sort of wait situations?
00:09:09.126 --> 00:09:10.807
wait lists have completely diluted.
00:09:10.807 --> 00:09:32.639
In some cases clubs have gone from having a sizable wait list to needing to sell memberships this year alone to make sure that they're at cap to get those member dues.
00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:36.966
So they're definitely seeing it, and real estate was kind of driving that.
00:09:36.966 --> 00:09:47.466
There was homes coming on the market in these communities which means that members were posturing to leave and so now they sell their home.
00:09:47.466 --> 00:09:51.850
Okay, we're exiting the club and so one by one, by one, the wait list starts to get smaller.
00:09:51.850 --> 00:09:54.087
So, which isn't a bad thing.
00:09:54.200 --> 00:10:05.203
I was telling someone the other day you know clubs for the last couple of years their attrition rates were cut in half of what they normally were before COVID, which was eight to 10% a year.
00:10:05.203 --> 00:10:09.491
Um, there was three to 4% per club benchmarking last couple of years.
00:10:09.491 --> 00:10:15.148
Well, that means you have less people writing initiation checks so you don't have that capital coming in.
00:10:15.148 --> 00:10:28.312
So this kind of um, uh, increased, uh activity of people buying into the club is actually a good thing for clubs activity of people buying into the club is actually a good thing for clubs, yeah yeah.
00:10:28.331 --> 00:10:33.946
The problem, though not really a problem, but the concern for a lot of club officials, though, is okay, we got all these homes for sale.
00:10:33.946 --> 00:10:44.748
Who's buying in here when we don't really have control of that, and how do we get control of that To make sure that the folks that are buying in there are right for the club and the culture?
00:10:44.748 --> 00:10:45.750
And that's the tricky part.
00:10:46.210 --> 00:10:52.928
That, yeah, that, that that I mean it's tricky enough to find excuse me, the right culture fit when you don't have that.
00:10:52.928 --> 00:11:06.741
But when you have a place, a community where, as long as you have a house, you can get a, you know, you can become a member, that's, that's tough.
00:11:06.741 --> 00:11:07.163
That's tough.
00:11:07.163 --> 00:11:09.788
Uh, just chatting with with someone on another episode we just recently recorded sort of like about that.
00:11:09.788 --> 00:11:28.941
Um, you know just certain, you know limitations and things and what you can and can't do and what happens when there's, you know, reprimations and when you have to, you know, do a little bit of, uh, you know, slapping on the wrist and when you're in that tight community and everyone's just kind of it's a unique spot.
00:11:29.602 --> 00:11:49.008
Oh yeah, well, it's that, and clubs historically have never wanted to get involved in real estate, because it's likely there's two or three members that live in the community that do all the sales, or most of them, and so you don't want to upset that apple cart either and and upset them so.
00:11:49.008 --> 00:11:54.399
But the club needs to have some sort of arms wrapped around.
00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:55.863
Who's buying there and who's selling.
00:11:55.863 --> 00:11:59.139
It's the wave of the future, for sure.
00:12:01.591 --> 00:12:08.440
And shameless plug to our friends Kenneth's member vetting Our club's looking to really step up their member vetting process.
00:12:08.440 --> 00:12:13.419
So I also saw that Newsweek article.
00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:18.375
It kind of just said like the housing market in Florida, uh, you know, the markets are in trouble.
00:12:18.375 --> 00:12:21.523
Um, I thought that was pretty pretty.
00:12:21.523 --> 00:12:23.351
You know that's a mood.
00:12:23.351 --> 00:12:27.562
Uh, what is your take on that, especially since you live in Florida right now?
00:12:27.562 --> 00:12:30.636
Um, are you seeing the same trend in your data?
00:12:30.636 --> 00:12:31.961
Is it being a little dramatic?
00:12:31.961 --> 00:12:34.332
What's what's the, what's the lay of the land?
00:12:34.833 --> 00:12:38.600
Well, Southwest Florida is kind of a bubble.
00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:50.341
There's just so much wealth that comes here from people around the world they're trying to locate to South Florida in general that we don't really get affected at least in my market anyway by that.
00:12:50.341 --> 00:13:00.639
We're also studying the golf course markets markets and they're still very strong in terms of pricing, holding strong for home sales.
00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:17.975
I think it's the ancillary markets that are on the state that probably are suffering a little bit more, because Florida is expensive to live in, especially if you're in the resort and hospitality world where you don't make a lot of money for doing what you're doing but yet you're living in these markets where it's very expensive.
00:13:17.975 --> 00:13:24.119
So yeah, it definitely is a cause for concern, for sure, for the state.
00:13:24.119 --> 00:13:27.912
However, in the club side, the clubs still remain very strong with demand.
00:13:30.676 --> 00:13:32.618
Not seeing any sort of slowdown.
00:13:32.638 --> 00:14:00.123
The only thing that I am seeing in the data is that before COVID, roughly 40% or so of consumers did not want to live in a golf community, which is really alarming to me, because if your members don't want to live in a golf community, then that means as a club, you have to open up the gates to non-resident memberships, and that could not be a good thing.
00:14:00.123 --> 00:14:08.756
If a majority of your members in the future live outside the gates and you're trying to pass a $20 million capital improvement plan on the club and the amenities.
00:14:08.756 --> 00:14:11.163
Non-residents vote yes for that.
00:14:11.163 --> 00:14:19.533
Vote yes for that.
00:14:19.533 --> 00:14:19.793
Maybe not so.
00:14:19.793 --> 00:14:22.264
Um, that number then shifted to only like 15 during covid did not want to live in a golf community.
00:14:22.264 --> 00:14:24.272
They wanted to be inside the gates of a safe, controlled environment.
00:14:24.272 --> 00:14:27.864
But now that we're past it, that number's spiking back up.
00:14:28.525 --> 00:14:52.253
Um, it's back to like 32 percent now so is there like an age range you kind of see in that because, like, I can almost see and this is me just kind of like talking out loud Like I would like if I was in, like, let's say, like Florida, for example, it's like I don't care so much to like live right there, so it's like I don't need to like live right at the club, like I don't need to be like behind the gate, like is that a shift that you're seeing?
00:14:52.253 --> 00:14:53.033
Like is that part of it?
00:14:53.033 --> 00:14:53.654
Or like where?
00:14:53.654 --> 00:14:57.519
Like do you have any more intel or data on like the the why behind that?
00:14:59.022 --> 00:14:59.663
yeah, it's.
00:14:59.663 --> 00:15:07.442
It's really kind of funny the the, the intel that we have on it just by asking consumers why don't you want to live in a club?
00:15:07.442 --> 00:15:12.620
And our average consumer is like 58 years old, 59, um, it's funny there.
00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:20.451
You know, everyone's seen Seinfeld and Del Boca Vista and where Jerry's parents live and that's what they think that it is Like.
00:15:20.451 --> 00:15:22.317
It's all these old people sitting around a board.
00:15:22.317 --> 00:15:23.499
To your point.
00:15:23.499 --> 00:15:32.077
You know earlier writing nasty grams because you left your car parked in the street overnight or the recycling bins out.
00:15:32.730 --> 00:15:37.953
So that's the perception a lot of people have and they just don't want to be part of that.
00:15:37.953 --> 00:15:40.321
I want to be near shopping and dining, etc.
00:15:40.321 --> 00:15:55.400
But then you have the other spectrum, or other side of the spectrum of people that are saying, no, I want to live inside the gates of the golf community because I want to go to the clubhouse, have some cocktails and drive my golf cart back and not be out on the road.
00:15:55.400 --> 00:16:03.735
And so there's different reasonings for both sides of why they either do or don't want to live in there, but they're very simple ones.
00:16:03.735 --> 00:16:06.996
There's nothing major, there's nothing financial or anything like that.
00:16:06.996 --> 00:16:08.964
Yeah.
00:16:08.964 --> 00:16:13.333
So, yeah, you wouldn't.
00:16:13.333 --> 00:16:18.633
I don't think you'd last long in del boca vista, I feel like you'd get excommunicated.
00:16:19.695 --> 00:16:22.681
Yeah how do you, how do you get clubs?
00:16:22.681 --> 00:16:31.142
So I still think there's a a lot of clubs that separate real estate and membership in their minds.
00:16:31.142 --> 00:16:43.695
Uh, and just because you know some clubs don't have it, just you know maybe immediately, immediately, right right there, or you know whatever their ecosystem is, but like, how do you get them to think more linked?
00:16:45.618 --> 00:16:51.928
well, um, honestly, you know platforms like ours with gln.
00:16:51.928 --> 00:17:02.390
It gives them the opportunity to put homes are for sale in the club on there so that when consumers are looking, we know that 90% of consumers are combining a search with club and home.
00:17:02.390 --> 00:17:06.400
So let's showcase it and put those homes on there.
00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:12.196
And that's just one way of subtly getting involved in that space of the industry.
00:17:12.196 --> 00:17:24.223
The other is just to have a brokerage on site, give them an office, and it doesn't mean that the club has to get any sort of compensation for part of the commissions.
00:17:24.223 --> 00:17:33.452
I've seen models where a club will give a broker an office space and they're there with a team of two or three for the year.
00:17:33.452 --> 00:17:46.318
And that broker needs to be in every board meeting, needs to be at every member event, just like the head pro is and the chef, to really be engaged with the membership so that the members use them when they sell.
00:17:46.318 --> 00:17:52.301
And that's a way for the club then to control who's buying it there or at least manage it.
00:17:54.712 --> 00:17:57.536
And by that you mean having not having anybody in every.
00:17:57.536 --> 00:18:02.154
You know everybody and their grandmother being able to sell in in your community.
00:18:02.656 --> 00:18:02.897
Right.
00:18:03.550 --> 00:18:06.537
And this is very like specific type of club also.
00:18:06.537 --> 00:18:12.499
But yeah, no that that that is smart Cause I'm sure there are clubs that just let anybody and everybody come through.
00:18:12.499 --> 00:18:19.089
It's just like, oh boy here we go.
00:18:19.111 --> 00:18:19.431
Who's this Right?
00:18:19.431 --> 00:18:22.199
Right, yeah, especially the quote unquote bundled communities where you buy a home and you're an automatic member.
00:18:22.199 --> 00:18:27.298
They rely on the local real estate community to bring people in there, and so is that a good model.
00:18:27.298 --> 00:18:36.371
I think it's done okay for them for the last 20 years, 30 years, but for the future I think you really want people in there.
00:18:36.371 --> 00:18:37.693
They're right for the culture.
00:18:37.693 --> 00:18:47.138
This saves so much aggravation and you know, no club wants a group of members that are not happy, and you can.
00:18:47.138 --> 00:18:50.392
If that's a way to avoid it, then certainly you should try to.
00:18:51.153 --> 00:18:52.776
Yeah, yeah.
00:18:52.776 --> 00:19:05.069
So if, uh, if a club is in one of these more bearish markets right now, what are they, or what should they be doing differently than they were, say, a year ago today?
00:19:06.972 --> 00:19:21.862
um, definitely keeping an eye on, you know the homes are for sale in their community or for directly around it, because that's really dictating how many people are leaving and watching that attrition rate or resignation list.
00:19:21.862 --> 00:19:39.394
It wouldn't surprise me at all if there's some clubs that have an attrition rate that's 12% to 15% this year, because I think we talked about this in the past but my theory has always been that the average attrition rate for a club is eight to 10% a year pre-COVID.
00:19:39.394 --> 00:19:55.122
So in 2020, the 82-year-old said, all right, we're going to resign for natural reasons, downsides move whatever COVID hits and it's like, okay, we're not going to resign now, let's keep what we have and get through this.
00:19:55.122 --> 00:19:57.336
Well, here we are four years later.
00:19:57.336 --> 00:20:00.700
That's why attrition dropped to 3% to 4% over the last several years.
00:20:01.451 --> 00:20:09.174
Now that we're past it, that now 86-year-old says, okay, we're out now Home's going on the market, going to resign for the club.
00:20:09.174 --> 00:20:14.393
And so you're coupling that with the natural attrition that occurs the 8% to 10% a year.
00:20:14.393 --> 00:20:19.336
Some clubs could be in a real pickle this year and we're seeing it.
00:20:19.336 --> 00:20:22.257
Club benchmarking is kind of predicting it as well.
00:20:22.257 --> 00:20:39.768
Of the club should be on alert that you could see, you know a higher increase in people leaving, yeah, which, again, it's not necessarily a bad thing because it reinvigorates the membership with new members and new capital coming in, etc.
00:20:50.891 --> 00:20:55.349
It's just the clubs have to have that Melissa Hansen marketing plan in place to make sure that they're exposed to the marketplace as people are looking.
00:20:55.349 --> 00:20:56.794
What's the first steps to that?
00:20:56.794 --> 00:21:06.854
So you know you're, you're a gm, you're a membership director, you know it's something that they, what's something they can do this week, next week or as soon as possible to kind of prepare and start for the shift and like moving that or moving their needle forward.
00:21:07.675 --> 00:21:11.791
Yeah, I think they definitely have to have plans for some sort of marketing approach.
00:21:11.791 --> 00:21:35.141
It doesn't have to be massive campaigns, but plugging into environments like ours, or working with Ed Heil and Storyteller and that group, or Melissa Hansen, just for consulting on social media and how the club can tastefully promote or advertise what they have without building a billboard saying but join here.
00:21:35.141 --> 00:21:53.179
So all of those things I think are really, really important to get back in front of, because we have I'm speaking just kind of about the Sunbelt and, and you know, the average buyer is 58 to six years old we have roughly five to six years left of baby boomers.
00:21:53.179 --> 00:22:00.616
Um, retiring every day is 13 000 people a day retire, so that's going to last for about five to six years.
00:22:00.616 --> 00:22:04.375
Well then, you're entering gen x and you know our generation.
00:22:04.375 --> 00:22:07.704
So, um, is the club going to prepare for that?
00:22:07.704 --> 00:22:12.516
And you have to start now for sure, because the baby boomer run is going to slow.
00:22:12.516 --> 00:22:15.040
We're more than halfway through it.
00:22:15.721 --> 00:22:19.816
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, that's a big thing to start thinking about.
00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:25.741
Oh yeah and that's a whole conversation on its own that clubs are starting to posture for.
00:22:25.741 --> 00:22:30.962
It's like, okay, what amenities can we buy or build to compete with everyone else?
00:22:30.962 --> 00:22:34.200
And I don't think that there is anything specific.
00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:45.160
I think that clubs are going to start to shift to more service oriented amenities detailing your car, dry cleaning, daycare, business centers.
00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:46.563
That's what it's going to be.
00:22:47.770 --> 00:22:59.008
You know, I'm, I'm surprised that's not more of a thing it is a little your neck of the woods.
00:22:59.048 --> 00:23:07.377
I think that a lot of the the private clubs offers things some smaller things like that, but not in the the sunbelt at all.
00:23:07.878 --> 00:23:27.510
Interesting all about the pool and the pickleball neo big, expensive amenities yeah to me like it's like little things, like knowing that if I do x, y and and Z on Tuesdays I always have lunch, I always do this, I always play that, but man, just when I drop my car off, oh, it's also going to get detailed.
00:23:27.551 --> 00:23:29.642
Or like the weekly, that's just like little things.
00:23:29.642 --> 00:23:41.030
And service value ads, I think can just enhance the top bottom lines or even just the member experience, just knowing your people well and just having those different services and offerings.
00:23:41.030 --> 00:23:46.326
I mean I'm even working on an episode, total, like pivot, you know, total side quest.
00:23:46.326 --> 00:23:53.167
But like I'm surprised more clubs and maybe they do, it's just not talked about but at least from the people I talk to it's not.
00:23:53.167 --> 00:24:05.686
But like more like transportation services for the older members of just you know, a car just handling, making sure the flight, the IT, because a lot of them, you know it's a pain in the butt to travel nowadays and it's a lot.
00:24:05.686 --> 00:24:10.943
It's a lot and, like you know, getting there and arriving and picking up and all that's all very stressful.
00:24:10.943 --> 00:24:14.667
So I think that's just even going to like a bigger city is driving it.
00:24:14.667 --> 00:24:19.794
I think that's like a, like a tapped or untapped little like thing.
00:24:20.775 --> 00:24:23.597
Yeah, no, I think that that's the wave of the private club future.
00:24:23.597 --> 00:24:34.366
For sure, Stuff like that, um, especially with more virtual jobs or people who are in their forties, can live in Naples and work, you know, and still be a member of the club.
00:24:35.088 --> 00:24:38.650
Yeah, are there any clubs you've seen that are just nailing it?
00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:41.863
Yeah, are there any clubs you've seen that are just nailing it?
00:24:41.863 --> 00:24:47.534
Yeah, I mean, uh, the, the ones that are really, really focused on, um, the culture of the club.
00:24:47.534 --> 00:24:50.148
So our data is still to this day.
00:24:50.148 --> 00:24:58.873
The friendly culture of the club is the number one motivating factor as to what people are looking for in their ideal club, and it drives me bananas.
00:24:58.873 --> 00:25:16.467
I'll go to a private club website and it shows empty dining rooms in this empty practice facility, and I know it's hard to stage a picture of members, but you gotta have people smiling and happiness and laughter, cause that's what people are looking for.
00:25:16.467 --> 00:25:18.905
It's not about the signature hole anymore.
00:25:18.905 --> 00:25:25.784
It's that it's having a real estate presence on the website, whether it's a portal.
00:25:25.784 --> 00:25:30.729
The show homes for sale and the amenities Highlight them.
00:25:32.986 --> 00:25:40.259
Any upcoming amenities or any amenities that you're seeing is, like, anything unique you see coming to light more.
00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:14.605
00:00:14.605 --> 00:00:20.289
00:00:20.289 --> 00:00:22.044
00:00:22.044 --> 00:00:23.489
00:00:23.489 --> 00:00:31.138
00:00:31.138 --> 00:00:45.048
00:00:45.048 --> 00:00:54.167
00:00:54.167 --> 00:01:04.290
00:01:04.290 --> 00:01:10.426
00:01:10.426 --> 00:01:28.287
00:01:28.287 --> 00:01:30.460
00:01:30.460 --> 00:01:35.090
00:01:35.090 --> 00:01:50.055
00:01:50.055 --> 00:01:57.171
00:01:57.171 --> 00:01:58.013
00:01:58.200 --> 00:02:04.754
00:02:04.754 --> 00:02:09.707
00:02:09.707 --> 00:02:13.751
00:02:13.751 --> 00:02:21.510
00:02:21.510 --> 00:02:23.443
00:02:23.443 --> 00:02:25.510
00:02:25.510 --> 00:02:28.026
00:02:28.026 --> 00:02:31.287
00:02:32.420 --> 00:02:44.105
00:02:44.105 --> 00:02:49.442
00:02:49.442 --> 00:03:07.848
00:03:07.848 --> 00:03:12.768
00:03:12.768 --> 00:03:13.670
00:03:13.670 --> 00:03:15.905
00:03:15.905 --> 00:03:17.751
00:03:17.751 --> 00:03:19.485
00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:31.140
00:03:31.140 --> 00:03:31.963
00:03:31.963 --> 00:03:32.625
00:03:32.625 --> 00:03:33.807
00:03:33.807 --> 00:03:35.513
00:03:35.513 --> 00:03:44.843
00:03:44.843 --> 00:03:47.441
00:03:47.441 --> 00:03:52.513
00:03:52.513 --> 00:04:03.399
00:04:03.399 --> 00:04:14.772
00:04:14.772 --> 00:04:17.947
00:04:18.168 --> 00:04:18.771
00:04:18.771 --> 00:04:25.560
00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:32.209
00:04:32.209 --> 00:04:38.011
00:04:38.011 --> 00:04:39.274
00:04:39.274 --> 00:04:39.855
00:04:39.855 --> 00:04:41.786
00:04:41.786 --> 00:04:43.031
00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:56.168
00:04:56.168 --> 00:05:00.634
00:05:03.324 --> 00:05:22.747
00:05:23.108 --> 00:05:23.309
00:05:23.309 --> 00:05:38.473
00:05:38.473 --> 00:05:43.572
00:05:43.572 --> 00:05:49.209
00:05:49.209 --> 00:05:54.040
00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:58.790
00:05:58.790 --> 00:06:02.444
00:06:02.444 --> 00:06:03.668
00:06:03.668 --> 00:06:04.470
00:06:04.470 --> 00:06:07.161
00:06:07.161 --> 00:06:17.197
00:06:17.197 --> 00:06:24.646
00:06:24.646 --> 00:06:27.048
00:06:27.067 --> 00:06:39.920
00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:44.886
00:06:44.886 --> 00:06:46.987
00:06:46.987 --> 00:06:53.673
00:06:55.214 --> 00:06:55.495
00:06:55.495 --> 00:06:56.896
00:06:56.896 --> 00:06:58.237
00:06:58.237 --> 00:07:17.639
00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:23.100
00:07:23.100 --> 00:07:28.788
00:07:28.788 --> 00:07:30.706
00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:35.151
00:07:36.841 --> 00:07:43.504
00:07:43.504 --> 00:07:47.713
00:07:47.713 --> 00:07:50.406
00:07:50.406 --> 00:07:58.091
00:07:58.091 --> 00:08:02.151
00:08:02.151 --> 00:08:10.553
00:08:11.940 --> 00:08:14.168
00:08:14.168 --> 00:08:16.812
00:08:16.812 --> 00:08:18.319
00:08:19.242 --> 00:08:29.392
00:08:29.392 --> 00:08:32.965
00:08:32.965 --> 00:08:33.903
00:08:33.903 --> 00:08:36.510
00:08:36.510 --> 00:08:40.571
00:08:40.571 --> 00:08:46.072
00:08:46.072 --> 00:08:50.793
00:08:50.793 --> 00:09:01.120
00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:05.923
00:09:05.923 --> 00:09:09.106
00:09:09.126 --> 00:09:10.807
00:09:10.807 --> 00:09:32.639
00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:36.966
00:09:36.966 --> 00:09:47.466
00:09:47.466 --> 00:09:51.850
00:09:51.850 --> 00:09:54.087
00:09:54.200 --> 00:10:05.203
00:10:05.203 --> 00:10:09.491
00:10:09.491 --> 00:10:15.148
00:10:15.148 --> 00:10:28.312
00:10:28.331 --> 00:10:33.946
00:10:33.946 --> 00:10:44.748
00:10:44.748 --> 00:10:45.750
00:10:46.210 --> 00:10:52.928
00:10:52.928 --> 00:11:06.741
00:11:06.741 --> 00:11:07.163
00:11:07.163 --> 00:11:09.788
00:11:09.788 --> 00:11:28.941
00:11:29.602 --> 00:11:49.008
00:11:49.008 --> 00:11:54.399
00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:55.863
00:11:55.863 --> 00:11:59.139
00:12:01.591 --> 00:12:08.440
00:12:08.440 --> 00:12:13.419
00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:18.375
00:12:18.375 --> 00:12:21.523
00:12:21.523 --> 00:12:23.351
00:12:23.351 --> 00:12:27.562
00:12:27.562 --> 00:12:30.636
00:12:30.636 --> 00:12:31.961
00:12:31.961 --> 00:12:34.332
00:12:34.833 --> 00:12:38.600
00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:50.341
00:12:50.341 --> 00:13:00.639
00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:17.975
00:13:17.975 --> 00:13:24.119
00:13:24.119 --> 00:13:27.912
00:13:30.676 --> 00:13:32.618
00:13:32.638 --> 00:14:00.123
00:14:00.123 --> 00:14:08.756
00:14:08.756 --> 00:14:11.163
00:14:11.163 --> 00:14:19.533
00:14:19.533 --> 00:14:19.793
00:14:19.793 --> 00:14:22.264
00:14:22.264 --> 00:14:24.272
00:14:24.272 --> 00:14:27.864
00:14:28.525 --> 00:14:52.253
00:14:52.253 --> 00:14:53.033
00:14:53.033 --> 00:14:53.654
00:14:53.654 --> 00:14:57.519
00:14:59.022 --> 00:14:59.663
00:14:59.663 --> 00:15:07.442
00:15:07.442 --> 00:15:12.620
00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:20.451
00:15:20.451 --> 00:15:22.317
00:15:22.317 --> 00:15:23.499
00:15:23.499 --> 00:15:32.077
00:15:32.730 --> 00:15:37.953
00:15:37.953 --> 00:15:40.321
00:15:40.321 --> 00:15:55.400
00:15:55.400 --> 00:16:03.735
00:16:03.735 --> 00:16:06.996
00:16:06.996 --> 00:16:08.964
00:16:08.964 --> 00:16:13.333
00:16:13.333 --> 00:16:18.633
00:16:19.695 --> 00:16:22.681
00:16:22.681 --> 00:16:31.142
00:16:31.142 --> 00:16:43.695
00:16:45.618 --> 00:16:51.928
00:16:51.928 --> 00:17:02.390
00:17:02.390 --> 00:17:06.400
00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:12.196
00:17:12.196 --> 00:17:24.223
00:17:24.223 --> 00:17:33.452
00:17:33.452 --> 00:17:46.318
00:17:46.318 --> 00:17:52.301
00:17:54.712 --> 00:17:57.536
00:17:57.536 --> 00:18:02.154
00:18:02.656 --> 00:18:02.897
00:18:03.550 --> 00:18:06.537
00:18:06.537 --> 00:18:12.499
00:18:12.499 --> 00:18:19.089
00:18:19.111 --> 00:18:19.431
00:18:19.431 --> 00:18:22.199
00:18:22.199 --> 00:18:27.298
00:18:27.298 --> 00:18:36.371
00:18:36.371 --> 00:18:37.693
00:18:37.693 --> 00:18:47.138
00:18:47.138 --> 00:18:50.392
00:18:51.153 --> 00:18:52.776
00:18:52.776 --> 00:19:05.069
00:19:06.972 --> 00:19:21.862
00:19:21.862 --> 00:19:39.394
00:19:39.394 --> 00:19:55.122
00:19:55.122 --> 00:19:57.336
00:19:57.336 --> 00:20:00.700
00:20:01.451 --> 00:20:09.174
00:20:09.174 --> 00:20:14.393
00:20:14.393 --> 00:20:19.336
00:20:19.336 --> 00:20:22.257
00:20:22.257 --> 00:20:39.768
00:20:50.891 --> 00:20:55.349
00:20:55.349 --> 00:20:56.794
00:20:56.794 --> 00:21:06.854
00:21:07.675 --> 00:21:11.791
00:21:11.791 --> 00:21:35.141
00:21:35.141 --> 00:21:53.179
00:21:53.179 --> 00:22:00.616
00:22:00.616 --> 00:22:04.375
00:22:04.375 --> 00:22:07.704
00:22:07.704 --> 00:22:12.516
00:22:12.516 --> 00:22:15.040
00:22:15.721 --> 00:22:19.816
00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:25.741
00:22:25.741 --> 00:22:30.962
00:22:30.962 --> 00:22:34.200
00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:45.160
00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:46.563
00:22:47.770 --> 00:22:59.008
00:22:59.048 --> 00:23:07.377
00:23:07.878 --> 00:23:27.510
00:23:27.551 --> 00:23:29.642
00:23:29.642 --> 00:23:41.030
00:23:41.030 --> 00:23:46.326
00:23:46.326 --> 00:23:53.167
00:23:53.167 --> 00:24:05.686
00:24:05.686 --> 00:24:10.943
00:24:10.943 --> 00:24:14.667
00:24:14.667 --> 00:24:19.794
00:24:20.775 --> 00:24:23.597
00:24:23.597 --> 00:24:34.366
00:24:35.088 --> 00:24:38.650
00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:41.863
00:24:41.863 --> 00:24:47.534
00:24:47.534 --> 00:24:50.148
00:24:50.148 --> 00:24:58.873
00:24:58.873 --> 00:25:16.467
00:25:16.467 --> 00:25:18.905
00:25:18.905 --> 00:25:25.784
00:25:25.784 --> 00:25:30.729
00:25:32.986 --> 00:25:40.259