ORANGE COUNTY, CA—Owners looking to upgrade senior-housing communities are changing both the functionality and aesthetics of common areas as residents' preferences shift, Michael Kane, senior director of Cushman & Wakefield's Orange County office, tells GlobeSt.com. As we recently reported, Kane was recently promoted to this position in C&W's senior housing capital markets group, joining Aaron Rosenzweig, who will relocate from the group's Boston office. We spoke exclusively with Kane regarding his new position and trends he is noticing gin the senior-housing investment sector.

GlobeSt.com: What are your goals in your new role with Cushman & Wakefield?

Kane: I'm a part of the national senior-housing team out of Boston. We facilitate transactions in the senior-housing space consisting of investment sales, raising equity and financing for existing and new developments.

GlobeSt.com: Tell us about some of the senior-housing investment trends you're noticing.

Kane: We're seeing a tremendous amount of activity, both in new development and existing-project repositioning. There is an extensive pipeline of new developments across the as well as existing projects that are evolving in both functionality and aesthetics to meet new demands. New capital has entered the space, while the mainstream investors are bulking up.

GlobeSt.com: How else is the senior-housing investor profile changing?

Kane: Investor appetite for senior housing is growing as the asset class evolves into a merger of residential and healthcare needs for its residents. Just as apartment investors moved into student housing, the pendulum is moving further as more investors get comfortable with the subtleties of the senior-housing asset class. Investors are seeking to capitalize on the anticipated forecasted demographic trends over the next 15 to 30 years.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about the senior-housing capital-markets group at C&W?

Kane: We're a multi-faceted, 10-person-plus team that focuses nationally and internationally on senior-housing opportunities. All of our senior professionals have multiple years of experience across the spectrum of capital markets. Our focus is to serve the needs of our clients within all aspects of the senior-housing space.