A candid “stalled expansion” case study with a remarkably happy ending
For many Life Plan Communities, a strong reputation,high occupancy and a long wait list feel like the ultimate indicators of future expansion success. Horizon House in Seattle believed the same thing—until its expansion presales stalled well short of its financing goal.
In this interview-style webinar, Horizon House’s CEO Erica Thrash-Sall shared the exciting story behind the launch of her 33-story, 202-residence West Tower expansion, including the challenges she faced when traditional sales and marketing strategies stopped working. This is the story of her leadership actions when presales completely stalled at 30% and the financing target was just months away.
Erica was joined by Love & Company Senior Vice President of Client Experience Amy Brodie, who Horizon House brought in to help diagnose the issues and, critically, help Erica’s team generate an unheard of 30 sales in the last 2.5 months—thereby hitting the financing goal timeline that once seemed out of reach.
At the heart of this story is the paradox that the reputation and word of mouth that so effectively keep communities full do not automatically translate to strong expansion sales. Even market leaders need refreshed branding, clear action plans and the insights of experienced partners. This session described these valuable lessons and more for leaders and marketing teams preparing for expansion or who are in the midst of the presales process.
Key Takeaways
- Real world insights and lessons learned from a CEO who’s met financing goals despite overwhelming obstacles and setbacks
- Why branding plays a critical role to successful presales, especially for traditionally high-occupancy communities, and how to refresh your branding
- How to best understand reporting and the “story” behind your data to evaluate performance, course-correct sales and marketing efforts and make informed decisions
This was an honest and practical discussion about recognizing when old strategies are no longer enough—and how acting decisively can change the trajectory of an expansion. Horizon House is a great story, and CEOs Erica Thrash-Sall and Rob Love have great wisdom to share.
Panelists
- Erica Thrash-Sall, CEO, Horizon House
- Rob Love, President/CEO, Love & Company
- Amy Brodie, Senior Vice President of Client Experience, Love & Company
