Rick Matros, chairman and CEO of Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBRA), sat down for a video interview at Nareit’s REITweek: 2026 Investor Conference in New York, June 1-4.
Matros said the company is focused largely on external growth, especially senior housing operating portfolio (SHOP) opportunities in secondary markets, while skilled nursing acquisitions remain limited. Sabra has already closed or been awarded about $700 million in deals this year, putting it on “well on track” toward its $1 billion target, he noted.
Matros said the company’s portfolio mix is shifting as opportunities in senior housing outpace skilled nursing. Skilled nursing now represents about 47% of NOI—its lowest level—and could trend closer to 40%, while SHOP exposure continues to grow. “We've got more volume than we've ever seen in terms of SHOP opportunities,” he said.
Sabra is also investing in AI both at the operator level, where technology can improve resident outcomes such as falls management and risk assessment, and at the corporate level, where AI will speed review of NDAs, offering memorandums, and underwriting. “What takes a week or two weeks for our team to get through now will be able to be done in hours,” Matros said.
He added that Sabra’s operator relationships remain a key advantage, with about 30% of current deals coming off-market through those partnerships.