NEW ORLEANS—The student housing sector is still sought after by a variety of investors. Yet it has its own nuances that anyone looking to get into the business needs to be aware of. Recently, GlobeSt.com caught up with Jim Arbury, vice president for student housing for the National Multi Housing Council, to discuss his thoughts on the sector. Arbury was one of the speakers at the 11th Annual NMHC Student Housing Conference & Exposition, held here Sept 30 – Oct 2. Here are a few of his major talking points:
- On whether the sector is in danger of overheating: Student housing has come a long way in terms of sophistication. As such, the professionalism in the business, along with the increased amount of research and information available, has greatly diminished the chances of much harm being done.
- Availability of financing and concerns over the GSEs: There's plenty of capital available, but to you really need to know what you're doing when you get into this sector. Arbury also doesn't see any moves to temper the GSEs' activity on the immediate horizon.
- The impact of the economy on demographics: The sector has become a little flatter in terms of demand as people are adapting to the economic situation, but the investment in higher education is still a good one.
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Sule Aygoren
Aygoren oversees the editorial direction and content for ALM’s Real Estate Media Group, including Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com. In her tenure with ALM, she’s held roles of increasing responsibility, including Managing Editor. Aygoren has received several awards for her coverage including Best Trade Magazine Report from the National Association of Real Estate Editors and the James D. Carper Award for Young Journalists. Under her direction, Forum has received four national NAREE awards for Best Commercial Real Estate Trade Magazine.
