Nearly 2,500 operators, investors, lenders, and other industry professionals convened in Nashville recently for the 2026 NIC Spring Conference. Attendees were polled on their outlook for the senior housing and care sector for the year ahead. The overall sentiment at this year’s conference reached a new record high with 94% of attendees responding that their outlook for the year ahead was ‘extremely positive’ or ‘positive.’
The vast majority of the remaining responses were ‘neutral’ in their reported outlook. The graph below reveals the overall industry sentiment going back to the 2024 NIC Spring Conference through today. Compared to two years ago, the overall industry sentiment has jumped more than 14 percentage points. These numbers clearly reflect the overall sector tailwinds and align with the general enthusiasm that attendees expressed throughout the conference.
