Real Estate Company Edison Equity Launches New Active Adult Brand

Edison Equity Residential has launched a new senior housing brand aimed at giving the boomers freedom, convenience and a social life.

Edison Equity Residential, a real estate investment company, has formed a joint venture with Arctrust for building its first community under the brand Serenova Concierge Communities at Woodforest near Houston. The Serenova brand is positioned to attract older adults with needs lying “between active adult and independent living,” according to Chief Investment Officer Brett Magnuson. Edison Equity Residential is developer, owner, and operator of multifamily and 55+ communities.

The community at Woodforest will include 133 upscale one- and two-bedroom apartment homes in a four-story construction and 32 private villas with attached garages.

Magnuson expects the project to be completed in 18 to 24 months, with 12 months to finish the villas. The company expects to start moving in residents in the first quarter of 2027. Edison Equity Residential will also manage the properties in-house.

Edison Equity already manages one senior living community in Duncanville, Texas, called Champions Cove. With Serenova, the company “wanted to create not only a new development but a new brand,” Magnuson told SHN.

“It’s still age-restricted, 55+, but the mindset is very different from traditional IL,” he said.

Magnuson said Edison Equity Residential made a strategic choice to market its Serenova brand in a way that minimizes references to senior living and focuses on independence in an effort to overcome a psychological barrier, as boomers don’t see themselves as “seniors,” while offering a product that emphasizes lifestyle and independence.

That’s because some prospective older adults balk at making a move when they see communities with assisted living and memory care, where they “don’t see themselves” represented, he said.

Each Serenova community will employ three full-time concierges: a director and other concierge positions focused on wellness and social programming, technology support and transportation. The concierges will listen for what residents want and help make those desires a reality. Each concierge position will have the ability to spend money on residents to enhance experiences, like sending flowers to a resident who has family visiting, as an example.

“It’s not like we’ve changed the vernacular of activity director to concierge. It’s completely different,” Magnuson said.

The company expects many of its future Serenova residents to still work part-time or volunteer, and the company has taken that into account when planning future events and social gatherings that include evening activities. The company aims to include older adults who may still hold typical work or volunteer schedules but can still participate in community life, Magnuson noted.

Each Serenova community will offer a “one-stop digital hub” application that residents will be able to use to pay rent, reserve transportation, make restaurant reservations or buy items in the community’s market, and directly message the concierge team. Residents can text the concierge, use a community app to connect with neighbors and staff, and access services like wellness partners or concierge doctors, with staff available to help less tech-savvy residents.

Another way Serenova attempts to break the traditional senior living mold is through its dining plans, moving away from the traditional dining hall toward a “high end, restaurant-style venue” along with a separate bar and pub, while also including grab-and-go bistro options. The goal is to let residents dine when and how they want, with family-friendly options and flexible use of dining credits under an all-inclusive structure.

Magnuson said having an all-inclusive fee structure aims to win over the baby boomers, who want simplicity and predictability in monthly billing. The Serenova model includes bi-weekly housekeeping services and trash pickup, along with bundled amenities and programming. The concierge will inform residents up-front of what they must pay in taxes, insurance and maintenance to help show the value of making this transition.

“When you get to the bottom of it, we feel that prospects can still save money at the end of the day by coming into a community like ours,” Magnuson said of the all-inclusive structure.

Going forward, Edison Equity Residential plans additional Serenova communities inside larger, master-planned developments in Dripping Springs and Harvest Green, Texas.

“There’s been a drought of new supply, so we’ll be opening at the right time; by the time our doors actually open, we’ll be opening at the right time and kind of hitting that mark,” Magnuson said. “We’ve worked hard and been patient for the last three years and now our plane is finally taking off.”

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