The opportunities for the pioneers in this sector to expand have never been greater and, in this report, we have identified new areas for activity in Europe, Australia and the Middle East. We have also identified potential pitfalls and threats and, building on last year’s research, have emphasised the necessity to look at local markets rather than national ones and pay attention to local supply and demand factors.

In the long term, the nature of higher education may be changing due to technological advances but it has also never been more important. In the technological age, global employers are searching for human talent and skills and universities are a vital component in providing these. Meanwhile, increasing world prosperity and a growing middle class in many emerging economies means that the global student population will continue to expand.

The experience of university as an away-from-home phenomenon will ensure demand for student accommodation but the quality, cost and location of this demand varies significantly between institutions, cities and countries and needs to be understood by the pioneers who seek to develop new product.

This latest global student housing spotlight will provide you with the information and insight needed to navigate the new and changing world of this type of real estate, whether as a new investor or seasoned developer-operator. Its overall message this year is one of activity, investment and opportunity. We expect to see the successful US and UK models of provision increasingly employed and adapted to new countries and markets in the coming decade.