Industry Voices

Lately, the metaverse, crypocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have become more common to hear about and have brought back an excitement I haven’t felt since I was 13 and first logged on to the internet (does anyone else remember the 15 hours free with an AOL CD?). While all three are still in their infancy and may drastically change with new technology and regulations, it’s hard not to sit and wonder about how they can be applied to our industry and which could be the next big thing. Just to …

SHB asked me to write about what is on my mind. Those that know me the best would agree that this was a big mistake as it won’t be remotely on topic! The onset of COVID was a time of reflection for me, and probably for you, too. I had an experience early in the COVID pandemic that I will remember forever. I was sitting with my wife and a few friends in a back yard on a clear, desert night outside of St. George, Utah, looking up at the …

In student housing, there is an ongoing movement to utilize best practices of sustainability and conservation in both new and existing projects. “Going green,” is better for both the environment at large and our respective communities. The majority of builders, developers and planners have embraced this movement, especially as implementation becomes more cost effective — not to mention profitable. Water conservation is a vital component of that movement. In several states, drought is an ongoing concern that impacts commercial and individual residences alike. However, even in those states where drought …

Students are returning to classes and student housing owners are singing the praises of a newish trend that has not only gotten many through the pandemic, but served as a blueprint for the next phase of student housing operations — proptech. Student Housing Business recently caught up with Ryan Lang, vice chairman at Newmark, to discuss the advantages of utilizing proptech and its usage as we move out of the pandemic.  Student Housing Business: What are some of the advantages of proptech from a student housing owner/investor/manager perspective? What are …

In this time of uncertainty and with the current challenges of cost, schedules and labor in the construction industry, we have seen a large resurgence in prefabrication and modular solutions. While these alternative building solutions are a positive for the construction industry, this flood of new offerings into the market has created confusion among those seeking to understand the benefits of this method of design and construction. In my 24-year career, I have seen a substantial growth in the number of new ‘modular’ companies moving into the prefabrication method of …

It’s been a full year since the onset of COVID-19 across the globe and there hasn’t been a single industry untouched by the pandemic. At first, everyone was challenged daily to adapt to a new reality, way of life and way of business. It took time, collaboration and a concerted effort, but we ultimately adjusted.  For the student housing industry in particular, COVID-19 has created a resurgence of innovation as the vast majority of our business has historically been cyclical and fairly predictable from year to year. Fundamentals such as …