Student housing continued its record growth last year, booking over €9bn in international transactions, excluding the US. As student numbers are growing faster than supply, the asset class remains a top-4 sector prospect for investments in 2020, as shown by a recent study carried out by global research specialist Bonard.

A group of investors have acquired 35 one-bedroom apartments in the Central District 4 Elements residential project, developed by Forty Management in the capital’s Titan area, for €3.4 million (excluding VAT). The investors will lease the apartments.

Round Hill Capital announced that funds advised by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities and Round Hill Capital have exchanged contracts to sell the shares of a residential property portfolio in the Czech Republic owned and operated by Residomo to Heimstaden Bostad AB for a total purchase price of €1.3 billion.

Investment manager Corestate Capital Holding S.A. has agreed on a new partnership with Bain Capital Credit. Bain Capital Credit is a leading global credit specialist with approximately €41 billion in assets under management. The agreement establishes a financing partnership in Poland within the micro living sector, specifically to co-invest in properties and convert them into student housing. The partnership has the initial capability to develop up to €500 million GAV. The agreement also includes asset and property management contracts.

In 2019, the Polish housing market experienced an acceleration and increase of projects in the rental and private student housing sectors. Poland is still on the radar of large foreign investors and some of them have been able to conclude spectacular deals. Although potential institutional buyers still aren’t able to purchase turn-key portfolios on an expected scale, and entering the market mostly means building new stock, the institutional rental sector is drawing more and more interest and will undoubtedly become a desired category of safe assets in 2020.

Golub GetHouse has finalised the sale of a 170-metre-high residential tower with apartments for rent planned on the plot at ul. Grzybowska 59 in Warsaw to LRC Group. The residential high-rise to be delivered by Golub GetHouse will feature 900 units for rent.

According to Savills, more than €700 million has been invested in the senior living sector across the UK and Europe since the beginning of the year, which is the highest level ever recorded. In Poland, the market in this sector is on an early stage of development but has great potential.

As we are nearing the end of the cycle and investors are looking to diversify their portfolios, student housing’s counter-cyclical nature is becoming increasingly attractive. Samuel Vetrak, CEO of Bonard, talked to Property Forum about recent developments on the European student housing market. Samuel will also chair a panel discussion on student housing at the upcoming CEE Property Forum 2019 in Vienna.

Alternative investment products have been slowly growing in popularity for some time now in CEE. As clients look for new types of services from advisory firms, this trend is here to stay. Jonathan Hallett MRICS, Executive Partner | Head of Central & Eastern Europe at Cushman & Wakefield talked to Property Forum about business lines, technology and competition.