The Community
Tamarisk NorthShore is a 240-unit independent and active living community in Deerfield, Illinois, on Chicago’s North Shore. It’s designed for residents who are still working, traveling, volunteering, and building new friendships — not slowing down. With no buy-in fee, restaurant-style dining, a full calendar of outings and events, and apartments built for real living (in-unit washer/dryers, full kitchens, dedicated office space), Tamarisk offers a lifestyle closer to a country club than a traditional senior community.
Tamarisk came to Sona with real momentum already in place, and Sona’s role was to build on that foundation — bringing in the right people, the right support, and a sharper focus on the resident experience to carry that growth even further.
The Challenge
When Sona began working with Tamarisk, the community’s sales and marketing efforts needed a boost. The team needed the capacity to focus on the things that actually move the needle — hosting events, developing offers and programs that speak to local seniors, taking the time to understand what they’re really looking for, and getting out into the community to build relationships through outreach. To make that possible, Sona hired a new Sales and Marketing Director along with a Community Relations team member, giving Tamarisk the people and structure needed to set the whole team up for success.
The Approach: The Right Team, a Resident-First Culture
Sona’s approach started with people. The team focused on hiring the right people for Tamarisk specifically — not just filling roles, but finding a genuine culture fit with the community and giving that team the support it needed to do its best work.
That included bringing on a seasoned Sales and Marketing professional who spends real time getting to know residents personally, rather than treating sales as a numbers game. That relationship-first approach shows up everywhere: in how prospective families are welcomed, in the everyday energy of the community, and in how residents talk about Tamarisk to their own friends and family.
With the right team in place and a resident-first culture taking hold, visibility followed naturally. A stronger, more engaging website became a real driver of new business, and — most tellingly — resident referrals grew into one of Tamarisk’s biggest lead sources, a marked shift from the community’s earlier reliance on third-party leads.
The Results
Tamarisk’s occupancy growth has been steady and sustained rather than a single dramatic turnaround — climbing from 74% in early 2025 to 96.7% today, without a single month of regression along the way. That kind of consistency reflects a community that’s working well from the inside out, not a quick fix.
That growth has been driven almost entirely by organic demand. Recently, Tamarisk has had only one or two paid third-party leads — a strong sign that lead generation has successfully shifted from paid channels to organic, resident-driven growth. That shift shows up clearly in the resident referral numbers: from October 2024 through September 2025, before the new Sales and Marketing Director (Jeff) came on board, Tamarisk saw just 2 resident referrals. In the year since, that number has climbed to 16.
