They’re here.

Millennials, a generation now larger than the baby boomers, were battered by the financial crisis as they started their careers and delayed some of the milestones that accompany homeownership, such as marrying and starting a family. But in 2018, millennials represented the largest cohort of home buyers at 37%, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2019 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report.

“Millennial home buyers are often looking for a lot at first and then they’re scaling back as they start searching for a home because of high prices and the limited selection of homes in most markets,” says Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com.

Millennials are not likely to compromise on the condition of a home, which is in part because of their lack of experience as homeowners, says Hale.

Brian Kee, 36, and his wife, Eliana Kee, 33, purchased a three-bedroom, townhouse-style condo for $515,000 in the Shirlington area of Arlington, Virginia, upgrading from the nearby condo they owned for six years now that they have a child.

“The single-family homes we saw were small, needed a lot of work and sold fast,” said Brian.

“For us, the neighborhood and commute were more important than the size of the place,” he said. “We also like that it was move-in ready and we didn’t have to do any work.”

“Millennials want almost instant HGTV-approved living,” says real estate agent Michelle Sagatov. “They’re not usually willing to put in elbow grease on making something their own through a renovation. As long as it’s on trend enough, they’re happy to just bring their furniture and their toothbrush and move in.

Understanding the priorities and preferences of millennial buyers is important to developers and to home sellers who want to target buyers in that age range.

“Buyers don’t want to have to do any renovation, especially not right away,” Sagatov says.

“As a whole, millennials are very interested in a sense of community and place a priority on the neighborhood,” says Kerron Stokes, a real estate agent with Re/Max Leaders in Denver.

Lauren Demeter, 31, and her husband, Landon Rordam, 32, who bought a single-family house in Arlington earlier this year, said they quickly realized their initial idea of purchasing a fixer-upper would take too much time and money.

“We had been renting a 670-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment for years and wanted more space,” Rordam says. “The amount of money it would cost to rent something larger was too much, so we decided it was time to buy.”

The couple initially wanted a fixer-upper to invest in, but they decided to look for something that was well-maintained and didn’t require any work.

“We found a 2,600-square-foot Tudor-style home with a detached garage that had already been converted into an office on the main level with a guest room upstairs,” Demeter says. “We prioritized a single-family home with at least three bedrooms and we wanted to be within walking distance of Metro since I work downtown.”

“The older generation wants a shorter commute, but most of the younger buyers I work with have much more flexibility in their jobs,” Sagatov says. “They work from home often, take advantage of telecommuting and go into the office a couple of times a week.”

That job flexibility means access to the Metro is less important to younger buyers than access to a fitness center, parks, coffee shops and restaurants, she says.

“In the city, the availability of ride sharing, bike lanes, the bus system and bike sharing means that Metro is less of a priority than it used to be,” says real estate agent Trent Heminger.

Pets are more important to urban millennials than parking, Heminger says.

Millennial buyers looking at condos ask if the building is pet-friendly and if there are any weight or other restrictions, Sagatov says. If they’re looking at a townhouse or single-family house, they want a yard for their dog, even if it’s small.

“For younger millennials who haven’t started a family yet or even those who do have kids, the family pets are also a priority,” Hale says. “That’s one reason many young buyers want an outdoor space.”

Millennial buyers who have been living in luxury rental buildings have high expectations for amenities that they have to revise once they realize that fewer condos have those amenities and those that do have high condo fees, Heminger says. Once they realize that owning means they may have to give up things such as a rooftop pool, millennials tend to prioritize the ability to have a pet and some outdoor space over other features.

“The outdoor space doesn’t have to be big, but they want to be able to put the dog outside or just sit outside for a few minutes,” Heminger says. “Some millennial buyers are willing to take less square feet inside — or even give up a bedroom — in order to get a little bit of outdoor space.”

“Outdoor living is a big part of the social fabric for millennials,” says Stokes. “A space for a fire pit or a covered patio where you can entertain a few friends is ideal.”

Tech-savvy millennials like the convenience of technology that they can control remotely, Heminger says, such as the ability to buzz someone in to deliver a package or someone who will walk their dog.

“Millennials grew up in the digital age, which gave them a thirst for instant information at their fingertips and virtual communication,” Stokes says. “Appliances such as smart thermostats, smart doorbells and more that can be controlled from an app are all the rage.”

A simple step that sellers can take is to swap out standard outlets for ones that include USBs for charging, Stokes suggests. A USB outlet costs $7 to $9 per switch, he says.

“Constantly being on a smartphone drains a lot of power,” Stokes says. “When your home offers a charging hub or outlet for people, especially in unconventional rooms like the kitchen, they are more likely to stop and take a second look.”

Stokes also suggests hiring an electrician to install an electrical outlet in the garage if possible, to allow for an outdoor refrigerator, charging toy batteries and electric cars.

“Millennials crave smart security systems that don’t require a monthly subscription,” says Yuri Blanco, broker and owner of Re/Max Executives in Boise, Idaho. “Any new technology that comes at a low cost is a major bonus to this age group.

Most buyers today, including millennials, want an open floor plan.

“The walls are coming down for millennials,” Blanco says. “For this generation, it’s all about open floor plans. Millennials who are having children want an open area for them to run around and also love entertaining, which means kitchens, living rooms and dining rooms that are connected attract them.”

“Barn doors and ‘rail system’ doors are here to stay, partly because they don’t take up space by swinging out,” Stokes says. “Another popular option for new construction is pocket doors that disappear into the wall system and fit into the whole open floor plan concept.”

“In recent years, we are seeing millennials prefer modern, sleek designs with clean lines and minimalist aesthetics,” Blanco says. “To them, less is more. Homes that have new, stainless-steel kitchens and simple cabinetry draw millennials in.”

Neutral colors are in, particularly light and whitewashed gray and cream, Blanco says.

“To accompany the neutral colors, we are seeing millennials gravitate toward bolder pops of color on accent walls,” Blanco says. “An accent wall that is colorful or covered in a unique wallpaper will be enticing to millennials.”

Top priorities for most millennials are the same as any other generation: They want an affordable house in good condition in a convenient location. That’s not surprising at all.