Growth and Renewal: A Case Study of LRSA’s Work with Harbor’s Edge Over the Past Year

Harbor’s Edge is a premier Life Care community overlooking Fort Norfolk Harbor. Originally opened in 2006 with its first residential building, Harbor Tower, the community expanded with the addition of River Tower in 2021. This expansion doubled capacity across Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Support—but also brought operational and sales challenges.

Delayed construction and the COVID-19 pandemic slowed River Tower’s fill-up. Simultaneously, rising turnover in Harbor Tower strained the community’s ability to renovate vacated residences, driving Independent Living occupancy down to 79%. The newly expanded higher levels of care also filled at a slower-than-expected pace, prompting the community to begin accepting outside admissions to offset census shortfalls.

Harbor’s Edge needed to reinvigorate sales efforts across both new and legacy residences, reposition dated and unrenovated units without relying on discounts, maximize limited marketing resources to generate qualified leads, increase fill pace for Assisted Living and Memory Support, and rebuild team performance, accountability, and morale. 

In March 2024, Harbor’s Edge partnered with Lauren Rose Senior Advisors (LRSA) through a Fractional CMO engagement led by Morgan Lamphere. LRSA provided interim sales leadership, coaching, and a new marketing strategy aligned with the community’s goals and budget.

To reposition unrenovated units, LRSA emphasized value-based selling and buyer customization instead of discounts. We also launched resident-driven marketing initiatives, like the brain health series, expert-led panels, and experiential events, resulting in a 25% boost in resident referrals and over 550 new leads in six months.

The results were clear: 24 Independent Living move-ins in 2024, $28M+ in entrance fees, and strong momentum continuing into 2025. With an expanded LRSA team now strengthening performance at every level, Harbor’s Edge is well-positioned for sustained growth and long-term success.