The Moving Company Secret: Senior Moves Pay 2-3x More
10,000 Boomers turn 65 daily. Agent partnerships, video estimates, and senior downsizing. Growing a moving company.
Ten thousand baby boomers turn 65 every single day in America. Many of them are downsizing from the four-bedroom house they raised kids in to a condo, assisted living, or a smaller home closer to grandchildren. They need movers.
But not just any movers. They need patient movers. Movers who understand that the china cabinet is not just furniture. It is 40 years of Thanksgiving dinners. Movers who will wrap every item like it matters, because to the customer, it does.
A moving company in North Carolina pivoted to specialize in senior relocations. Average residential move in their market: $800-$1,200. Average senior move: $2,500-$4,000. The margins are higher because seniors are not price-shopping on the internet. They are hiring the company their daughter recommended or the one the senior move manager referred.
The senior moving niche is wide open. Almost nobody markets to it specifically. And the demand curve only goes up from here.
Real Estate Agent Partnerships: The #1 Channel
Every home sale creates a move. Every agent closes 8-15 transactions per year. Do the math on just five solid agent relationships and you have a very full calendar.
The approach that works: attend one local real estate association meeting. Introduce yourself to three agents. Say this: "I would love to be your go-to mover recommendation. I will give your clients priority scheduling, and after every move, I will follow up with them so it reflects well on your referral."
That last part is the key. Agents care about their reputation. A bad moving experience makes the agent look bad. A great moving experience makes the agent look like a hero. Position yourself as the person who makes the agent look good, not just the person who moves boxes.
What makes agents keep referring you:
Priority scheduling during peak season (May-September). Agents' clients need to close on specific dates. If you can guarantee the move date, you win.
Same-day quotes. The agent calls, you provide an estimate within hours, not days. Speed signals professionalism.
A follow-up call to the client 24 hours after the move. "How did everything go? Is there anything we can help with?" Then text the agent: "Your client's move went perfectly. They seemed really happy." That text generates more referrals than any marketing campaign.
One busy agent can generate 10-20 moves per year. Five agents and you are looking at 50-100 moves annually from referrals alone, at zero advertising cost.
Video Estimates: Close 30% More
The moving companies still requiring in-home estimates for every quote are losing business to the ones offering video walkthroughs.
Here is the shift: a homeowner fills out a quote request. Instead of scheduling an in-home estimate three days from now, you text them: "I would love to give you an accurate quote. Can you do a quick 5-minute FaceTime walkthrough of your home right now?"
Companies using video estimates report 30% higher close rates. Why? Speed. The customer gets a quote in 15 minutes instead of waiting days. They feel attended to. And you get the job before the other three companies even show up for their in-home visits.
Video also lets you qualify leads fast. You can see the home size, the amount of stuff, the stair situation, and parking access, all in five minutes. No wasted drive time on quotes you were never going to win.
The tech is simple: FaceTime, Google Meet, or Zoom. Have the customer slowly walk through each room. Take notes. Send a written estimate within an hour.
Storage Integration: Add $500-$2K Per Job
Many moves involve a gap. The old house closes on the 15th but the new one is not ready until the 1st. Or the customer is downsizing and has not figured out what to keep yet. They need storage.
If you partner with a local storage facility (or better yet, offer your own portable storage containers), you add $500-$2,000 per job in storage revenue. The customer does not have to coordinate with a separate company. You load their stuff, store it, and deliver it. One relationship, one invoice, one point of contact.
Storage partnerships are easy to set up. Visit the three largest self-storage facilities in your area. Offer to be their exclusive moving company recommendation in exchange for being able to refer your clients to their facility. Cross-promote. Display each other's materials.
Some moving companies buy portable storage containers (PODS-style) and rent them directly. The margins are excellent: a $150/month container costs $3,000-$5,000 to buy and pays for itself in two years.
The Seasonal Calendar Advantage
Over 50% of moves happen between May and September. The companies that thrive year-round do two things: they maximize peak season revenue, and they fill the off-season with work others ignore.
Peak season (May-September): This is when you invest in advertising. Ramp up Google Ads and GBP posting 4-6 weeks before Memorial Day. Pre-sell summer moves with deposit incentives. Hire temporary labor. Every moving truck should be on the road every day.
Off-season (October-April): Target corporate relocations; companies transfer employees year-round. Offer 15-20% off-peak discounts. Market to apartment complexes and property managers who have turnovers every month regardless of season. Push specialty services like piano moving, gun safe relocation, and estate cleanouts.
The online booking edge. Companies that offer instant online booking generate 40-60% more leads than phone-only operations. A homeowner at 10pm browsing movers on their phone is not going to call you tomorrow. They are going to book the company that lets them request a quote right now.
Publish your peak and off-peak pricing calendars openly. Transparency builds trust, and customers who can save $300 by moving on a Tuesday instead of a Saturday will happily adjust their schedule.