QuadReal Property Group (“QuadReal”), a global real estate investment, development and operating company, has acquired an eight-asset, 3,460 bed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) portfolio from Apollo-managed funds and entities.
The high-quality portfolio is comprised of assets located in key PBSA markets across the UK, including London, with 75% of the portfolio situated within proximity of prestigious Russell Group universities. All the buildings were developed within the last five to seven years to a high specification, and are well amenitised with gyms, co-working spaces, audio-visual rooms, common areas, and event spaces.
Residential is an area of high conviction for QuadReal. PBSA specifically is a resilient and a counter-cyclical asset class that offers stable income, structural demand, and long-term growth potential. With persistent undersupply in key university cities, growing international and domestic student populations, and a shift towards higher-quality, professionally managed accommodation, PBSA provides both defensive characteristics and attractive risk-adjusted returns.
The UK PBSA sector is expected to outperform other asset classes over the next few years on the back of resilient market fundamentals. The country has the largest student population in Europe, as well as the highest share of international students, with overall full-time student numbers continuing to rise. The UK market is structurally undersupplied, with an estimated shortfall of 840,000 units expected by 2027.
QuadReal has significant experience in the residential and student accommodation sectors. Its global portfolio includes over 65,000 residential units and 28,000 student beds, predominantly in North America and Australia. In the UK, QuadReal has over 8,500 residential units and 1,000 student beds across 29 communities and has delivered more than 1,300 units in 2024 alone, in part via its partnership with Realstar.
The asset manager for this portfolio of PBSA is OPRE Solutions.
Jay Kwan, Managing Director, Europe, at QuadReal said: “Across our global portfolio, we are highly selective about the assets we acquire, and target markets with strong fundamentals and significant demand drivers. With resilient demand, structural undersupply, and a large cohort of international students, we have been actively looking to grow our PBSA exposure in the UK and this is an opportunity to expand our student housing platform.”
Kristian Branum-Burns, Senior Vice President, Europe, International Real Estate, at QuadReal said: “This transaction is fully aligned with our fundamentals-driven residential strategy in Europe, and student accommodation is a crucial sector for us. These are high quality, amenity-rich assets servicing in-demand universities across the country, and the portfolio is well placed to deliver sustained rental growth over the coming years.”
