KKR Sells Five UK Student Accommodation Assets For £291m

KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the sale of five major student housing developments across the UK to Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC, a global leader in the investment, development, and management of high-quality rental housing, for £291m.

The five Purpose Build Student Accommodation (PBSA) developments comprise a total of 2,163 units situated in London, Glasgow, Coventry and Bristol, four cities renowned for their higher education institutions. Four of the assets are operational for the 2020/21 academic year, while the asset in Bristol is under construction and due for occupancy in September 2021.

KKR acquired the five PBSA sites in 2018 to develop high-quality, professionally managed accommodation to meet structurally growing demand in a market which continues to be underserved by quality options for student housing. The UK remains one of the leading global destinations for higher education with the benefit of top-ranking universities, with strong forecast growth trends in the university-age demographic in the UK, supported by ongoing demand from international students.

KKR worked closely with Nido Student as operator of the sites to provide best-in-class property management services, having successfully collaborated on student accommodation developments in the Netherlands. The UK sites benefited from Nido’s wealth of experience in thoughtful and innovative design, providing a tailored service from development to operations focused on well-being and student experience.

Seb D’Avanzo, Managing Director in European Real Estate at KKR, said: “These assets have helped to address the growing demand for high-quality accommodation across university hubs in the UK that provide a focus on wellbeing and community for students. We continue to see the UK as a strategically significant market for PBSA, with strong projected demand, and will continue to assess future opportunities to acquire and develop quality assets.”

Source: Business Wire