Student Housing Unlocked: What Defines the Sector in 2026?

Student housing’s fundamentals are as familiar as ever: high occupancy, steady demand, a pipeline that’s still selective, but the real story in 2026 is where the wins are concentrating and how investors are underwriting them. Harrison Street Asset Management, one of the largest owners in the sector, is leaning into that shift with strategic moves and fresh momentum.In this episode of Student Housing Unlocked, Senior Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu is joined by Beau Garot, co-head of education transactions in North America at Harrison Street Asset Management, to unpack what that activity says about the market right now. They also touch on why flagships remain the focus, the redefinition of affordability and what precision looks like as debt gets more attractive and competition returns.Here’s what they discussed:Three trends shaping 2026 student housing (01:24)Why owner–operator alignment matters more right now (02:00)Rent growth normalizes, efficiency matters (04:35)Debt is improving and competition is returning to deals (05:32)How they’re reading demand today (06:25)Concentrated supply, bigger projects (07:39)The “Power Four Plus” thesis (08:43)Testing demand durability before the asset (09:45)How does precision underwriting look in practice? (10:56)2026 advice: don’t overpay (14:09)