Unite Students prepares £300m disposal programme
Unite Students is preparing to bring forward a key portfolio disposal programme that is expected to generate over £300m. It comes as the business continues to reposition its estate towards prime university markets and reinvest in future development.
The proposed programme forms part of Unite’s long-term asset recycling strategy, which focuses on selling assets located in secondary markets and redeploying capital into high-performing locations with stronger demand fundamentals. The group has set an annual disposal target of between £300m and £400m, with proceeds intended to support its development pipeline and further strengthen portfolio quality.
Through this approach, Unite aims to increase its exposure to high- and mid-ranked universities, with a specific objective of achieving a 92% concentration of its portfolio in Russell Group cities. Management has indicated that recycling capital from disposals remains a core component of the company’s growth strategy, enabling continued investment in new and upgraded purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) across leading university locations …