CCRC / Life plan
CCRC prospects are younger, healthier, and considerably more thorough than any other senior living buyer. They are evaluating an entry fee against their estate, often with a financial advisor and an adult child reading the residency agreement. This is a presales funnel, not a census funnel, and it runs on a completely different clock.
Cost per lead
$110
Cost per move-in
$3,000
Sales cycle
12 to 36 months
Leading channel
Content, seminars, and depositor nurture
Who is actually deciding
Where the money goes
A deposit is not a move-in, and the gap between them can be two years. Depositor attrition is the quiet killer in CCRC presales, and it is almost always a communication failure rather than a change of mind.
This buyer is underwriting a financial product. Type A, B, and C contracts, refundability, and what happens if they outlive their assets matter more than the fitness centre.
With a two-year cycle and lifetime value in the hundreds of thousands, cost per lead is close to meaningless. Cost per qualified depositor is the number that reflects reality.
What we do instead
Waitlist, priority deposit, and reservation stages tracked separately, each with its own nurture. A depositor at month four needs different contact from one at month twenty.
Contract type explainers, refundability comparisons, financial disclosure guidance. This buyer reads everything, and the community that explains it best earns disproportionate trust.
CCRC still converts in person more than any other care type. Digital's job is filling the seminar room and following up afterwards, not closing in the ad.
Analytics configured so a move-in in 2028 can be traced back to a 2026 first touch. Default attribution windows silently discard the entire CCRC funnel.
Straight answers
Typically 12 to 36 months from first inquiry to move-in, and longer for a community in presales. Standard analytics attribution windows are far shorter than that, which is why so many CCRC operators cannot tell which channels actually work.
Cost per qualified depositor, depositor-to-move-in conversion, and depositor attrition rate. Cost per lead is not a useful figure when the lifetime value is six figures and the cycle runs years.
Almost entirely different. The buyer is younger and healthier, deciding without pressure, evaluating a financial contract, and moving on a multi-year timeline. Assisted living urgency tactics do not just underperform here, they damage credibility.
The rest of the portfolio
Further reading
Automation
As we move into 2026, the competitive landscape for senior living, including assisted living, independent living, and memory care communities, continues to intensify. For marketing leaders and C‑suite executives at U.S.-based senior living communities, having a forward-looking, digital-first marketi
Recruitment
The senior living industry faces a growing challenge in recruiting and retaining qualified staff. With an aging population increasing the demand for care, senior living communities must fill essential roles such as nurses, culinary staff, administrative personnel, and caregivers. Traditional hiring
Paid media
Digital advertising is a crucial strategy for senior living communities looking to attract new residents and their families. With digital platforms continually evolving, staying updated on the most effective channels is essential. In this post, we'll compare Facebook and Google Ads for senior living
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