Build-to-rent developer Watkin Jones is in the market for £500m in forward funding deals for its purpose-built student accommodation developments.
The firm is looking for deals for its 523-bed PBSA scheme in Selly Oak, Birmingham, which received planning approval in 2021, and its 819-bed Bedminster site in Bristol, that it acquired from Deeley Freed in 2022.
The developer is also looking for funding for its £60m scheme in Guildford, supported by the University of Surrey, with 366 beds.
It is marketing funding opportunities for the assets individually.
Alex Pease, chief investment officer at Watkin Jones Group, told EG there was a lot of capital chasing the sector: “But how do you access that in sufficient scale? How do you access the sector with someone who really knows what they are doing? And I think we as a counterparty do stand out because we have that vertically integrated platform.”
Speaking on why Watkin Jones would be a good partner for the capital looking to enter the sector, Pease said: “We have that great mind and knowledge that is [our operating brand] Fresh, that manages 25,000 customers and feeds into what we do.
“We have got the ability to buy sites, get planning, design them, and build them.”
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