The RealShare Student Housing Conference is produced by ALM's Real Estate Media Group. Nearly 400 people attended the event at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in suburban Dallas to hear industry experts discuss student housing trends.

During today's keynote speech, Peter Katz, senior vice president of investments for Marcus & Millichap, emphasized the fact that the student housing sector is in much better shape than other commercial real estate sectors. It is not recession resistant, he contends, but rather recession resilient – meaning that it is impacted by economic downturns, but bounces back more quickly.

"The economic downturn has taken a small toll, but occupancy and rents have remained stable," Katz notes. To that end, the sector has fewer assets that are distressed on the property level.