Did you know that millennials – the cell phone, internet, and social media generation – comprise the single largest generation in the history of the United States?

There are approximately 87 million of these young people across the country today. That is a lot of people who need roofs above their heads.

In Atlanta, 70% of millennials still rent their homes, meaning 7 out of every 10 millennials are potential buyers for your residential property.

How to make your listing catch the attention of millennial buyers

Make no mistake: Atlanta millennials want to buy their own homes. In many cases, they are just reluctant because they’re not in the right place financially. Many young home buyers are reasonably discouraged by the hefty down payment and other financial obligations that will add to their already daunting student loan debt.

As a seller, you can help encourage millennials to ease into the Atlanta housing market by offering great value for their money. One of the best ways to do so is to package your property with smart technology features – a sure-fire way to fascinate, engage, and convince young buyers to make a deal for your home.

Here are top examples of smart home technologies that millennials look for in a home:

• Smart, high-fidelity sound systemsMusic is a crucial element in young people’s lives – whether purely for entertainment or as a means to zone in on that creative, productive flow. Sound systems for the home are nothing new, but modern advancements in audio technologies are extending ways for home users to access their music, not to mention enjoy them with a richer quality.

  Today’s Wi-Fi-connected sound systems allow users to control their playlists from a central device – like their cell phone, tablet, or laptop – and stream their music across the house.

• Smart thermostatsProgrammable thermostats have been around since around the 1950s, but today’s smart thermostats take convenience a notch higher with sensor-activated functions and “adaptive” abilities.

  Smart thermostats can “learn” your temperature preferences based on how you use your heating and AC systems over time and, using sensors to detect whether you are at home or away, will adjust your home’s temperature accordingly.

• Smart smoke detectorsHave you ever had to deactivate your old-school smoke alarm because it goes off while you’re cooking? With advanced versions, this is not a problem.

  Modern smoke detectors are “smart” enough to tell the difference between smoke coming from frying bacon and smoke from an actual fire. Plus, they can monitor carbon dioxide levels and overall air quality inside your home, as well as send alerts straight to your mobile phone or tablet in case of a legitimate emergency while you’re away.

• Smart doors and locksLet’s face it: keys are a hassle. They’re easy to lose, hard to find – say, in the dark, or at the bottom of your bag – and they are a huge risk in the wrong hands. Your phone, however? You practically protect it with your life, right?

  That’s the idea behind smart doors. All you need to lock and unlock your home is an app on the phone or tablet that you always carry around with you. You can also configure additional user access to authorize family members and friends to do the same using their mobile devices.