I used to love doing first-time homebuyer seminars. Grab a lender, grab an escrow officer, a few deli plates and some cookies, kick the AA meeting out of the community center, and it was on. People showed up because they needed the information. They still do.
First-time homebuyers hit a record low of 21 percent in 2025, down from 24 percent the year before and a long way from the 40 percent that used to be normal. The typical first-time buyer is now 40 years old with a household income of $98,000, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. They are older, more qualified and more prepared than any previous generation.
A lot of things caused that. Prices went up. Rates went up. Insurance got complex. Inventory stayed tight. But the biggest killer of first-time buyer dreams is simpler than all of those things combined: Buyers lack relevant information they can use, and this is where we step in.
The topics buyers want to know about are out there: down payment assistance, FHA 203(k) loans, VA loans with zero down for eligible veterans, USDA loans with zero down in qualifying rural and suburban areas, and home equity conversion purchase loans for seniors 62 and over.
Most agents think nobody shows up to seminars anymore, but the truth is they never showed up for sales pitches. People show up to learn about solutions. COVID killed the first-time buyer seminar, but there is definitely a need for them out there.
One of the agents I coach recently asked me about what it was like selling real estate “back in the dark ages … ” and I talked about doing first-time homebuyer seminars. Here are a few of the questions I got about them.
Question: How do I get people to actually show up to a free seminar in 2026?
Answer: That’s always the worst feeling: “What if I throw a party and no one shows up?” The issue is no one wants to go to something and be the only ones there. No matter how good the food or how nice the room or how amazing the presenters are, no one likes to be the only ones at a party.
Grab a lender, a title or escrow person and plan the seminar. Pick a topic that provides value to the first-time buyer. My advice is to create a seminar around down payment assistance; everybody needs money for a down payment or closing costs.
In addition to presenting the information, you need to provide something of value. Partner with a lender who can pre-approve people on the spot or a down payment assistance specialist who can pull actual numbers for each attendee. That gives people a real reason to show up in person instead of asking for a handout later.
There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a renter come into a seminar and walk out with a pre-approval letter and the knowledge that they can qualify for down payment assistance. This is life-changing, and they will always remember that you were a part of the process.
Make sure to market, and not just with social media AI slop or email blasts. Don’t be lazy. Pick up the phone, make some flyers, put them up at a coffee shop or in the lobby of a rental building, and have the seminar at a rental building.
Make sure at least six people show up; this is why you have friends and partners. Your lender partner needs to commit to two friends. Your title partner needs to commit to two friends. You need to commit to two guests.
Worst comes to worst, you have a practice run and get feedback from your friends.
Question: How long should the first-time homebuyer seminar last?
Answer: I shoot for two hours.
You’ll want 30 minutes in front to meet and greet, get people’s information, get them fed and seated. If your lending partner is going to do on-the-spot pre-approvals, add an additional 10 minutes or so.
The presentation portion of the seminar should be less than an hour. Your group will need to present the main information, down payment assistance, in this case, and then each of you will explain your part in the homebuying process.
In our presentation, my partners and I got very practiced. We walked through the homebuying process from start to finish, each of us explaining our piece when it came up.
The lender started with the pre-approval process and what buyers needed to have ready. I took over to talk about finding the right property and what to look for. The escrow officer covered the earnest money deposit and how it protects both sides.
Our presentation took 30-45 minutes and left us with 15-20 minutes to take questions. You’ll also want 30 minutes at the back end to make some real connections.
Question: How do I know if the seminar was worth my time beyond the immediate leads?
Answer: I included this question because it frustrates me. I am sorry if this triggers you, but this is your job now, and if you are only measuring a seminar by the leads that walk in the door that night, you are thinking too small.
The people who attend may not buy for six months, a year or longer. But when, or even if, they do, they remember who took the time to educate them. They refer their friends. They come back for help with the next house and send their kids. That’s where the value lives.
The real return is trust, reputation and a pipeline that builds slowly over time.
America Foy is a broker associate at The Grubb Co. Get connected on LinkedIn and Instagram.
