Michał Okoń, Managing Director of Zeitgeist Asset Management in Poland talked to Property Forum about the forecasts for the PRS market in Poland, subscription services and the impact of the pandemic on the rented apartment segment.

Speakers at 2021 Property Investment Outlook 2021, an online event organised by Property Forum, have indicated unbroken market optimism. From living investments through the retail market to the office segment, participants in panel discussions expected positive changes and further growth in the CEE property market.

Eagle JVCo, the investment vehicle established in 2019 between Vienna-based Value One and Nuveen Real Estate on behalf of its parent TIAA, has agreed to acquire a portfolio of purpose-built student housing and two development sites in Poland.

The impact of COVID-19 on the purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector has been less severe than expected, proving the resilience of the asset class, as shown in Bonard’s annual report.

Student Depot, owned by Kajima Student Housing Limited in partnership with Griffin Real Estate Partners, announced the opening of its first facility in the university city of Gdańsk, Student Depot Kolobrzeska.

Student.com, the world’s leading marketplace for international student housing, and Bonard, the global market research experts for student housing, see 2020 as a year of change, as international students have broken with traditional ways of booking student accommodation. Changes in demand, room type and lead time have all taken place as the world and the global higher education sector figure out the ‘new normal’.

In mid-March, when COVID-19 challenged every aspect of ‘normal’, the European higher education and student housing industries entered an unpredictable time with regards to knowing how best to secure positive learning and living experiences. Given the nearly daily changes accompanying the situation, many higher education institutions and student housing operators chose to follow an active co-learning path, flexible scenario-planning and making bold decisions when necessary. During the summer, Bonard and The Class of 2020 launched a joint research project with the aim to provide as accurate and up-to-date information as possible to assist industry leaders in making further strategic decisions to create more sustainable knowledge ecosystems for global talent amidst the pandemic.

The LivinnX Kraków student residence, developed by Golub GetHouse, has signed an agreement with Tauron, which includes the purchase of electricity obtained entirely from renewable sources, i.e. hydroelectric power plants and wind farms. LivinnX will use the electricity offered as part of the EKO Premium product, which is the only solution in Poland to have a Green Energy Sale Guarantee, confirmed by the Polish Association for Energy Certification.

Zeitraum, a specialist in student rental housing, has entered into a three-year contract with the Anglo-American University in Prague (AAU), guaranteeing 120 beds for its students in the new academic year 2020/2021. The AAU is one of 20 universities with which Zeitraum cooperates and provides accommodation for the AAU’s students on its four newly reconstructed campuses in Prague. More than 60% of university students remained accommodated despite the difficult situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing their studies online.

Property Forum’s latest online panel focused on the effects of COVID-19 on alternative asset classes such as student housing and build-to-rent. European investors, regional experts and local developers discussed how the popularity of alternative assets among investors might change once the crisis is over.