The National Real Estate Investor online publication recently released a story about the increasing interest in student housing. There has been a lot of interest in student housing over the past twelve months or more. Why? People are seeing the economy improving, but interest rates remain low. While they can’t get a big return on more traditional investments, these people are finding that they can get big turnaround on their money when they buy properties and rent it out to students.

A long list of new investors have also joined the bidding for student housing assets, including high-net worth individuals, private equity fund managers and institutional investors… The total number of transactions grew slightly and the average sales price per bed also grew by about $3,000.

So, what does this mean for traditional student housing operations? It means that you have to step up your game to continue competing with those who are new to the game. New buyers tend to sink money into the off-campus properties at the start, to make them as attractive as possible. Students like the luxuries that come with houses and apartments that are off-campus, and which rise above the uniform dorm room look.

If you want to continue to compete effectively, then you need to design rooms that are inviting to a very creative generation – one that is used to customizability and one that embraces individuality. Built-in furniture isn’t against the rules, but it should have a modern feel with plenty of space for personalization. At Carroll Seating, we allow you to start the trend of customization. Create the layouts, select the pieces that you think will best accommodate the incoming students and we can make that happen. Wardrobes, dresser systems, and desks with plenty of overhead storage, are just a few of the pieces that can make your rooms attractive enough to compete with the new student housing investors. At Carroll Seating we have the knowledge and expertise to customize your student housing built-ins. To find out more, call us at 816-471-2929 or visit us online.