From Funeral Home to Legacy Hub: Redefining Your Role in the 21st Century

The funeral industry is having an identity crisis

For decades, funeral homes and estate professionals defined their role narrowly: manage arrangements, facilitate services, finalize paperwork. It was about transactions, not transformation.

But with the rise of social media these expectations have changed. Families want more than logistics. They want guidance, storytelling, and permanence.

The challenge for professionals is clear: will you remain a one-time service provider — or will you evolve into a legacy hub that supports families through every dimension of remembrance?

What a “legacy hub” really means

A legacy hub is more than a place of service. It’s an ecosystem of offerings that blend tradition, technology, and storytelling. It positions your business not as a vendor, but as a trusted partner in legacy planning.

Core elements include:

• Physical services: Funerals, burials, ceremonies.

• Digital memorials: Curated online tributes, QR plaques, multimedia storytelling.

• Planning support: Guidance on digital afterlife, estate organization, and pre-need preparation.

• Community resources: Grief groups, podcasts, content libraries, and workshops.

How does this tie in to revenue?

Extending relevance

Families don’t just want services on the day of a funeral. They want ongoing support in preserving and sharing memories. Offering legacy planning keeps your business relevant year-round.

Increasing revenue streams

Legacy hubs create multiple entry points: memorial plaques, story archives, subscription hosting, and pre-planning packages. This diversification smooths income in a volatile industry.

Deepening trust

When you help families plan for the future — not just react to loss — you position yourself as a compassionate advisor, not just a service provider. And this is what grows your business to a leader in the funeral and grief industry. This trust is the biggest predictor of who will rise to the top, and become the industry leader, and who will be left behind as the world continues to evolve.

Case study: The power of redefinition

Don't take our word for it. Read below to see the power of end-of-life planning combined with digital innovation.

Foundation Partners Group, the second-largest funeral services provider in the United States, redefined end-of-life planning with digital innovation. Instead of relying solely on traditional funeral services, the company launched a comprehensive transformation:

1. Digital platform integration – Launched Afterall in October 2024, a centralized hub connecting 250+ funeral homes with digital obituaries, memorial products, and planning resources.

2. Strategic acquisition – Acquired Cake, a leading online end-of-life planning platform, to provide families with comprehensive digital tools.

3. Direct-to-consumer services – Expanded digital cremation offerings through Tulip Cremation and Solace Cremation brands.

The Results:

Foundation Partners modernized the funeral service landscape by creating what executives call "a single platform where families can find a local funeral home they trust, as well as the right services to fit their unique needs"—addressing a nearly $30 billion global end-of-life planning market projected to grow 6% through 2030.

Similarly, Carriage Services transformed its business model through technology-driven innovation:

1. Enterprise digital transformation – Developed Trinity, an ERP system with family portals and engagement tools.

2. Strategic technology partnerships – Formed partnerships in May 2023 to enhance pre-arranged services and operational efficiency.

3. Customer-centric approach – Redesigned every touchpoint of the customer journey with digital integration.

Within 18 months:

Revenue increased by 5.7% to $404.2 million in 2024.

Cemetery preneed sales surged 26.7%, demonstrating strong family engagement with forward-planning services.

Adjusted EBITDA grew 11.5%, proving the profitability of the digital-first approach.

The company's Vice Chairman and CEO noted that their "strategic execution at every level has delivered outstanding financial results," positioning them as innovators in the deathcare space.

Imagine: one place where the grieving could get the support they need. Combining services in this market propels you to the forefront of the industry.

How to evolve into a legacy hub

1. Reframe your identity. Stop thinking of yourself as just a service provider. Position yourself as a guardian of legacy.

2. Audit your offerings. Which services are one-time transactions? Which could evolve into ongoing relationships?

3. Integrate technology. Digital memorials and legacy planning tools are no longer optional. They’re baseline expectations.

4. Educate your market. Families won’t ask for what they don’t know exists. You must lead the conversation.

5. Build partnerships. Providers like MTL make it possible to offer professional, permanent digital solutions without reinventing the wheel. See the benefits of partnering with us here

Overcoming industry inertia

The biggest barrier isn’t families — it’s providers.

• “We’ve always done it this way.” Tradition is important, but stagnation is deadly.

• “Families don’t care about digital.” They do. And if they don’t get it from you, they’ll get it from startup; and you will be left behind.

• “It’s too complicated.” It isn’t. With partnerships, it becomes turnkey.

The industry’s reluctance to evolve is your opportunity to lead.

The ROI of becoming a legacy hub

• Reputation as innovator → Attract modern families.

• Expanded services → Higher average revenue per client.

• Recurring income → Subscriptions and long-term hosting.

• Future-proofing → Stay relevant as deathtech accelerates.

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Legacy hubs don’t just survive industry change. They define it.

The future belongs to legacy hubs

Funeral homes and estate professionals face a choice: remain a transactional service, or transform into a legacy hub that offers permanence, storytelling, and digital-first solutions.

Families no longer see value in one-day services alone.

They want long-term partners who help preserve stories, protect digital afterlife assets, and guide legacy planning.

The businesses that step into this role will lead the industry for decades. Those that don’t risk fading into irrelevance.

Legacy isn’t just about the deceased. It’s about how your business will be remembered, too.

Sources:

Foundation Partners Group Press Release, October 2, 2024

Carriage Services Q4 2024 Investor Report

PRNewswire, "Foundation Partners Group Invests in Digital Transformation," October 2024