Former NBA, Reality TV Star Lamar Odom Aims to Bring ‘Transparency’ to Senior Living Referrals with ZNest.com Deal

Former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Lamar Odom’s senior living referral business, Odom Senior Care, has been acquired by ZNest.com, according to a news release published on Wednesday. 

In an interview with Senior Housing News, Odom said he wants to bring more transparency to the industry to help prospective residents understand pricing, amenities and care services more deeply before making a decision in a key phase of their lives. 

The two-time NBA Champion and former reality television star launched Odom Senior Care earlier this year to provide referral services for senior living. 

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As part of the acquisition by ZNest.com, Odom will now serve as Chief Creative Officer (CCO) for the company, where he will help highlight the role senior living can play to better older adults’ lives. In January 2024, ZNest.com is set to launch a consumer-facing website that will encompass a “wealth of insights, resources and user-friendly tools,” the news release states. 

“I want to see people live the way God intended them to live,” Odom said. “Transparency is the word. I don’t think it should be this hard for families to find the right senior housing, and I think they should have options.” 

Odom credited his drive to found a senior living business to his 96-year-old grandmother. The company was built to help solve difficulties that older adults may have in selecting the right senior living community in Southern California. 

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ZNest.com founder and CEO Bennett Kim said that the two organizations shared the same vision, and were both driven by personal family experience to improve the future of senior living. 

ZNest.com has helped operators of all sizes bring new leads to their communities, while also making it easier for families to select housing for older adults by eliminating referral fees and offering other tools to inform better decision making, Kim said in an interview with SHN. That means ZNest.com can help operators fill vacancies without the typical acquisition costs associated with referral services. 

“[Operators] shouldn’t have to pay one month of rent for bringing someone else [into their communities],” Kim said. “We don’t have that type of distorted incentive structure. For us, we want to help the families and we want them to find the best fit for them, based on price, proximity, et cetera.” 

Going forward, Odom said he envisions ZNest.com growing, as he will play a key role in spreading the word about the company. 

“[We want] to get the word out as much as possible, and I think we’ll see it, and actually start seeing our work being done placing people in homes,” Odom said. 

Senior living operators are able to claim profiles and list facilities on the site by visiting ZNest.com.

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