ARA Student Housing Report Shows Heavy Transaction Volume in 2012

by Katie Sloan

Austin, Texas — High-density, walk-to-campus and cottage-style properties are most common assets currently being developed.

Austin, Texas — The ARA National Student Housing Group has released an investment sales report for 2012. The brokerage team of Chris Bancroft, Chris Epp, Patton Jones and Meredith Wolff reports that 2012 was a record year for sales with $3.7 billion in total volume, which is based on all student housing transactions in 2012 with a sales of price of $5 million and above. Institutional funds and REITs comprised the majority of buyers of class A assets, while merchant developers and REITs selectively disposing of non-core assets represented the widest swath of sellers. One hundred twenty-six properties were sold last year, primarily in the Midwest and Southwest. In 2011, that number was 74.

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