Senior Industry Trends: Boosting Speed-to-Lead

As discussed in RealWorld 2018 sessions.  A question many senior property management professionals may ask themselves is, “When it comes to leads, why are we still struggling with occupancy?” As with most business challenges, there’s not just one, but several reasons for this: there just aren’t enough leads to meet the supply; the leads you do have aren’t qualified; you’re working with fewer resources than necessary to follow up with leads; and, leads tend to go cold very quickly when you’re not able to respond in a timely manner. To understand this challenge, you first need to look at current sales and marketing trends in the senior living industry. Demand is increasing According to Senior Journal, the population of people 65 years old and older is expected to reach over 83.7 million by 2050. With this growing senior population, there is also a burgeoning demand for high-quality senior living options—and the competition is fierce. What does “high-quality” really mean? While fewer people are looking for traditional “nursing homes”, independent and assisted living residences are thriving. Today’s typical senior living facility offers upscale, advanced amenities, comfort and privacy set within beautifully decorated, well-appointed environments. Different attitudes and preferences are driving the demand for higher quality amenities and more personalized service. Today’s seniors are healthier and more active than their parents were at the same age. They’re affluent and more tech-savvy than you think. So how do you capture more of this evolving and digitally astute group? You can positively influence the new seniors (who are often baby boomers) and their adult children (who typically are driving the search and final decision) by meeting them where they already are, communicating their way and by making the entire renter journey as effortless as possible. Following are...