Student Housing Unlocked: When Does Data Come Into Play

Rising construction costs and economic volatility bring setbacks in the student housing landscape, although developers and investors are turning to in-house construction teams or more capital-light options. Yet, with so many opportunities in the sector, some are turning to data-driven insights to choose the best sites and ensure higher ROI as well as operational efficiency. That’s also the case with Subtext, which is active in 15 markets across the U.S. and relies on its in-house data team for better market selection and to ensure higher occupancy rates. With a portfolio of over 19 communities and 10,000 beds, the company focuses on major institutions and a hospitality-centric, experience-based approach in its projects, thus guaranteeing resident satisfaction. In this podcast episode of Student Housing Unlocked, Associate Editor Olivia Bunescu discusses what it takes to have success in the student housing sector in this era of data and how the company is leveraging it to overcome challenges and deliver high-quality communities that students want to live in with Subtext’s Founding Partner & Co-CEO Brandt Stiles. Here’s what they discussed about: What’s defining student housing today? (01:45) Data points that matter when it comes to development (04:05) Affordability is the number one challenge in student housing (06:33) Taking as much information as you can is key to success (09:12) How can data influence the outcome of a project (13:35) Addressing underutilized space in student housing (15:30) Occupancy growth goes hand in hand with reputation (18:25) Strategies that contribute to residents’ satisfaction: going back to basics (20:10) Experience-based design and hospitality as amenities (23:18) Subtext’s flagship projects across the country and next moves (28:30) How will student housing development perform in 2025? (36:30)