Cautiously optimistic.

As I sit here at my computer and think about 2025, these two words remain at the forefront of my thoughts.

Part gut feeling and part feedback from many conversations within the senior living industry over the past few months, I am optimistic about 2025. 

Since I’m a glass, err, coffee cup-half-full kinda lady, let’s start with the notion of caution.

Fellow business owners are cautiously approaching the beginning of 2025 as they wait to see if potential tariffs and policy changes will impact the cost of goods and services. Unsure of future cost increases, I see owners and operators keeping a close eye on their bottom line and looking for areas to reduce costs. 

However, and with a smile, I firmly believe that the reasons to be optimistic about this year far outweigh the negatives.

The time is now to position yourself as a leader in the senior living industry. The window of opportunity is open for those able to see the future. According to one report, that view looks promising, with an estimated need for 881,000 new units in the senior living industry by 2030. 

Couple that stat with the fact NEXT Insurance research is reporting that 73% of U.S. small business owners are optimistic about the economy in 2025, and you definitely have reason to be excited about this year.

So grab a cup of your favorite coffee, and let’s dig into the Senior Living Marketing Trends for 2025.

Senior Living Marketing Trends for 2025

1. The Power of Human Connection

This may sound a tad hypocritical to say coming from a salesperson, but your primary focus when interacting with prospects CAN NOT be to sell them!

Sit with that for a minute and think about it.

Nobody wants to go through the experience of a hard sale. In fact, according to a report by the Gartner Group, 77% of buyers prefer a rep-free experience. What?! Say it isn’t so.

Instead of asking, “How can I sell them?” pivot your perspective to emphasize the human connection and ask, “How can I serve them?”

We work in the human services industry, and we should never lose sight of the human aspect of the business. Selecting a senior living community is a very emotional experience for most families. Most seniors and families will only go through this search process once, so they don’t have any prior experience to reference. Prospects are counting on you to provide sound advice and guidance. They want to trust you! 

Trust is an invaluable factor during the customer journey, and treating people with kindness and empathy, rather than taking a hard-sales approach, will inevitably build trust.

How to Build a Human Connection with Prospects

• Emphasize Empathy: Understand the emotional needs of seniors and their families during the decision-making process.
• Educate First: Properly explain the process of selecting a Senior Living community, teach them the terminology they need to know, and share resources to help them make the best decision for their family. 
• Be a Resource: Put yourself in the prospects’ shoes, ask yourself what resources you would want during the buying journey, and then provide those.
• Ask Open Ended Questions: Allow the prospect to share what their main concerns are. Short yes or no questions will yield short answers.
• Build Trust: Foster open and honest communication to build trust and establish lasting relationships.
• Create Meaningful Experiences: Offer personalized experiences beyond basic amenities and create a sense of community and belonging.
• Pleasant Phone Conversations: Allow prospects to speak with knowledgeable staff. According to one report, 70% of senior living and care consumers will call to talk with a staff member.

2. Value-Based Selling

One of my former bosses once told me I should never send an email unless I provide some type of value. 

So what does that mean?

If you send prospect emails or make phone calls, don’t just ask for their business; you should provide a valuable asset with that interaction. 

For example, last week, I sent an email to a prospect in which I introduced myself and our company and shared a link to our Coffee with Waypoint and Friends webinar series, adding value to the interaction. 

How do I decide what assets to share with the prospect?

I’m glad you asked!

This is where personalization comes in. If you have made that human connection from the first trend, you can clearly understand the prospect, their concerns, and what aspects of Senior Living are most important to them. This information will help you determine what assets to share.

Personalized Content is Powerful!

Here are some stats that speak to the impact of personalized content. 

Source: Evergage and Salesforce

 Leverage Data-Driven Insights to Showcase Value

If you don’t make data-based decisions, you’re doing it all wrong. Your website data is like a cheat code, giving you a clear picture of your prospects.

First, ensure you have tactics in place to collect this data correctly.

The Waypoint Lifestyle Quiz is an easy-to-use survey that captures data and helps personalize the sale. Branded with your logo and colors, this fun, interactive element helps to capture customer preferences and needs. Best of all, the Waypoint Lifestyle Quiz gets results:

• Higher quality leads
• 8 to 10% lead to close conversion
• 13 to 15 data points for personalization

Once you have compiled the data, you can work with your sales and marketing team to share assets with prospects related to their specific needs and concerns. 

 3. The Imperative of Exceptional Customer Service

Unfortunately, we have settled into a place where we accept subpar customer service. Part of this is because many companies are having difficulty finding quality employees and then keeping those employees. I get that, but part of the problem is the fact that customer service can sometimes be viewed as only a front-of-the-house priority amongst team members who are customer-facing.

This is an extremely dangerous mentality to have.

I can tell by looking at one area of the business if a Senior Living Community has great customer service.

Do you want to take a guess on what that area is?

If you said the waitlist, you are correct!

Communities that have waiting lists are the ones that deliver spectacular customer service because they take a holistic approach to it. Every team member, from the public-facing associates to the administrative staff, has a part in delivering excellent customer service.

When I meet with Senior Living Communities to coach them, I always tell them that everyone in the company is in sales. From the dining staff to resident services to activities, etc…everyone is in sales.

And everyone must work together to deliver the premium service that customers expect.

For example, if a prospect fills out a Lifestyle Quiz and indicates that they are gluten-free, then the sales and marketing staff need to relay that information to the tour coordinator when that prospect takes their tour. The tour coordinator should note the gluten-free request and pass this along to the dining services team so they can have a special gluten-free menu ready. 

10 Tips for Providing Exceptional Customer Service in Senior Living Communities

Here are 10 tips you can share with your team to help deliver excellent customer service at your Senior Living community.

1. Prioritize Personalization – Learn residents’ names, preferences, and interests to create a more welcoming and comfortable environment. Tailor interactions and services to meet their individual needs.

2. Train Staff on Empathy and Patience – Ensure all team members receive training on empathy, active listening, and patience to handle concerns with care and compassion.

3. Be Proactive, Not Reactive – Anticipate residents’ and families’ needs before they arise. Regularly check in with them to identify and address concerns early.

4. Foster Strong Communication – Maintain open lines of communication with residents and their families. Provide updates on care, activities, and community events through calls, emails, or newsletters.

5. Ensure Prompt Response Times—Whether answering a call, responding to an email, or addressing a request, quick responses show residents and families that they are valued and heard.

6. Create a Welcoming Atmosphere – From friendly greetings at the front desk to warm, engaging interactions throughout the community, a positive environment makes all the difference.

7. Encourage Feedback and Act on It—Regularly gather feedback through surveys and conversations. Implement improvements based on residents’ and families’ input to show them that their opinions matter.

8. Empower Staff to Make Decisions – Allow frontline employees to resolve minor concerns without manager approval. This helps improve service efficiency and satisfaction.

9. Offer Engaging Activities and Programs—Keeping residents socially active and engaged enhances their overall experience and well-being and contributes to positive customer service perceptions.

10. Demonstrate Appreciation – Celebrate residents and their families through appreciation events, small gestures like handwritten notes, and acknowledgment of birthdays or special occasions.

4. Artificial Intelligence

We just launched our AI Sales Assistant last fall, and I’m still amazed by the possibilities. I tell all of my customers and prospects that AI is not a nice to have; it’s a must-have in 2025!

I understand that AI can be a bit intimidating, but trust me, it’s worth learning how to leverage AI to drive efficiency in your business.

As communities seek to better engage with families and prospects, AI is helping streamline processes, enhance personalization, and improve overall efficiency. From chatbots that provide instant responses to data-driven insights that refine marketing strategies, AI is reshaping how senior living organizations connect with their audiences.

One of the biggest shifts is the integration of AI-powered assistants, like the Waypoint AI Assistant, to support marketing and sales teams. These tools help ensure no lead goes unanswered, providing real-time responses to inquiries and guiding prospects through decision-making. AI can also analyze behavioral data to predict which prospects will most likely convert, allowing sales teams to prioritize their efforts effectively. By automating routine tasks such as follow-ups and appointment scheduling, AI enables teams to focus on high-value interactions that build trust and relationships.

Beyond sales, AI is also enhancing the customer experience. Personalized website experiences, dynamic content recommendations, and automated nurture campaigns make engagement more relevant and meaningful. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, AI enables communities to deliver the right message at the right time, helping families feel informed and supported throughout their journey. As AI continues to evolve, senior living communities that embrace these innovations will be better positioned to meet the expectations of modern prospects and deliver a seamless, high-touch experience.

How AI Can Benefit Your Senior Living Sales and Marketing Strategy

Not sure where to start with AI? Here are some great AI tools to consider integrating into your Senior Living marketing strategy:

1. Waypoint AI Assistant

• Why It’s Useful: This AI-powered assistant helps senior living teams manage inquiries, respond instantly to prospects, and automate follow-ups, ensuring no lead goes unanswered.
• Key Benefit: Reduces response time, increases engagement with families and prospects, and reduces website drop-off.

2. AI-Powered Email Marketing (e.g., Seventh Sense, Optimail)

• Why It’s Useful: These tools use AI to optimize email send times, personalize messaging, and analyze engagement patterns to improve open and conversion rates.
• Key Benefit: Ensures emails are delivered at the right time to the right audience, maximizing impact.

3. CRM with AI Capabilities (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce Einstein)

• Why It’s Useful: AI-powered CRMs analyze prospect behaviors, automate lead scoring, and suggest the best follow-up actions for sales teams.
• Key Benefit: Helps prioritize high-intent leads and improves conversion rates.

4. AI-Powered Content Creation Tools (e.g., Jasper, Copy.ai)

• Why It’s Useful: These tools help generate blog posts, email campaigns, and social media content based on specific prompts and audience needs.
• Key Benefit: Saves time and ensures consistent, engaging content creation.

5. Predictive Analytics and Lead Scoring (e.g., People.ai, Conversica)

• Why It’s Useful: AI-driven analytics tools assess past interactions, engagement levels, and other data points to predict which prospects are most likely to convert.
• Key Benefit: Allows sales teams to focus on the most promising leads, improving efficiency and ROI.

 5. Navigating Uncertainty

As an entrepreneur, I don’t shy away from risk. I recognize risk, assess the degree of risk, and then pursue what I want.

But I never stay stagnant.

Letting yourself become frozen in complacency and indecision is the worst decision you can make in business and in life.

I get it; these are uncertain times for business owners, but don’t get caught up in the unknown. If you allow yourself to step back and see the opportunity ahead of us in the Senior Living industry, you will thrive!

According to one report, the population over 80 is expected to increase by nearly 50% over the next decade. This will drive interest and demand like we’ve never seen before. 

If you take away just one tip from this blog, let it be this: allow yourself to recognize the opportunity in the increased demand and plan for success.

While your peers may be milling around now, waiting for someone to signal clarity, you will run circles around them because you can see the future… and act on it!

Tips to Prepare for Future Growth

Here are a few tips to help you focus on this generational opportunity that stands in front of us:

• Focus on Resilience: Develop strategies to navigate uncertainty and adapt to changing market conditions.
• Prioritize Operational Efficiency: Optimize operations to improve profitability and ensure long-term sustainability.

Embrace Innovation: Continuously explore new and innovative approaches to attract and retain residents. Fail fast, learn and succeed.

Coffee on Me!

I enjoy working in the Senior Living industry because I love helping people. I love helping my clients, helping families find the best Senior Living options for their loved ones, and helping my peers.

So, don’t be a stranger. Whether you are a seasoned Senior Living industry veteran, just starting your career, or somewhere in between, I am here to help you and your business succeed!

Feel free to schedule some time with me; we’ll enjoy a coffee (on me) and talk shop. 

There is no sales pressure, just honest advice.