The general mood among attendees at the recent spring NIC conference was one of optimism for the remainder of 2026 and heading into 2027, said Zach Scardina, Cambridge Realty Capital Vice President. Scardina attended the 3-day conference in Nashville along with Cambridge Senior Vice President Brent Holman-Gomez, and both noted record attendance overall over previous years, putting it on par with some of the typically larger fall NIC events.
NIC is one of the nation’s leading senior housing and healthcare industry events, both for its educational and informational presentations, speakers, and symposiums, as well as its opportunities for networking with like-minded professionals and potential customers. Billed as “the premier networking and education conference for the senior housing and care (SHC) industry,” the conference draws a wide cross-section of speakers, presenters, and attendees, many of whom describe NIC as the best avenue in the industry for making meaningful connections and striking business partnerships.
At the top of everyone’s mind this year was growing investor demand and subsequent borrowing opportunities. Recounted Holman-Gomez, “This is a major shift from the last several years’ focus on buying below replacement cost. The M&A market has turned to typical bids looking at forward-looking business prospects.” Scardina added, “New capital continues to enter the senior housing space and is driving increased competition.” With demand increasing, “banks are really back in the market, putting pen to paper for transactions with good debt service,” Holman-Gomez said.
As anecdotal evidence of the current capital markets environment, Holman-Gomez reported that Cambridge was able to sign up a bridge- to-HUD solution at 100% LTC for an operator buying their property. “Cambridge has a specialty in funding rent-replacement deals for operators to buy their buildings. It’s great to see market fundamentals indicate this business has greater prospects going forward,” he asserted. Cambridge also finds financing solutions for the growing segment of assisted living and memory care facilities in the senior housing sector.
As for development, Scardina noted that it appears to be returning slowly, with projects happening in the right markets. “Demographics continue to be a primary focus for keeping investor demand high.”
The next NIC conference takes place in October in Chicago.
