The U.S. Student Housing Market: Overlooked Opportunities

Abstract

Student housing has emerged in recent years as one of the most in-demand asset classes in commercial real estate. Investors, both domestic and international, have been attracted to U.S. student housing projects for many reasons, including their steady yields and reliable returns during all market cycles (The Economist, 2018). As a result, investment in and development of student housing has increased dramatically over the past few years (Brass, 2018). Even with this increased focus on the sector, opportunities still remain in the student housing industry, particularly for investors and developers with differentiated projects. This paper will examine the current state of the U.S. student housing market and suggest four overlooked opportunities in this market that could provide investors and developers with an edge in the increasingly competitive and crowded environment