What Happened in Student Housing: January 2026 Wrap-Up - SHI 1024

🎙️Episode Summary In this month’s wrap-up, host Wes Deese and co-host Gretta Dare welcome 2026 with a breakdown of the major shifts in the student housing industry rankings. Special guest Jason Fort, EVP at Asset Living, joins the show to discuss Asset Living’s historic rise to the number one spot on the Student Housing Business Top 25 Managers list, overtaking American Campus Communities. Jason shares insights into their organic growth, the increasing trend of multifamily-to-student conversions, and the importance of operational flexibility in today's market. The team also dives into significant development news, including Core Spaces' massive 2,352-bed "ōLiv Columbia" project and a unique hotel-to-student housing conversion Columbia, SC and a rare new dev/conversion in Manhattan by BDB Construction. Finally, Wes and Gretta analyze the latest Fall enrollment data, highlighting a surge in community college attendance and sparking a candid conversation about degree requirements for industry professionals.   ⏱️Timestamps 00:00:00 – Sponsor Message: Introduction to Social Pro from Opiniion. 00:02:08 – Intro & Weather Reports: Wes and Gretta catch up on the winter storms hitting North Carolina and College Station. 00:05:00 – Top 25 Managers Rankings: Analysis of the new industry rankings and Asset Living taking the #1 spot. 00:06:40 – Guest Interview: Jason Fort of Asset Living joins to discuss their growth strategy and the shift from multifamily to student housing operations. 00:16:27 – Third-Party Management & Shared Services: A look at the Top Third-Party Managers list, Cardinal Group crossing the 100k bed threshold, and the rise of "white label" management services. 00:20:00 – Industry Consolidation: Discussion on recent mergers, including Yugo and Campus Advantage. 00:23:00 – Top 25 Owners List: Reviewing the top owners, including American Campus Communities, Scion, and the rapid growth of Core Spaces. 00:31:30 – Development News (CORE Spaces): Breakdown of the massive ōLiv Columbia project and the operational challenges of managing mega-developments. 00:43:00 – Manhattan Conversion Project: BDB Construction’s conversion of a Financial District hotel into the world’s tallest student accommodation. 00:52:00 – Enrollment Data Analysis: Insights from the National Student Clearinghouse and Chronicle of Higher Education regarding Fall 2025/2026 enrollment trends. 01:00:00 – The Degree Debate: Gretta and Wes discuss the necessity of college degrees for various roles within the student housing industry.   💡Sponsor Social Pro by Opiniion This episode is sponsored by Social Pro from Opiniion, the number one social media management platform designed specifically for property management. Social Pro allows you to create beautiful, optimized content in seconds and publish it across every major social network with just one click. From AI-powered content creation to a unified inbox for all comments and DMs, Social Pro elevates your brand and simplifies resident engagement. Click here to learn more: https://opiniion.com/shi/   📎Sources & Links: Student Housing Insight: https://www.studenthousinginsight.com/ ShopTalk Webinars: https://www.shoptalk.info/ Student Housing Business: https://studenthousingbusiness.com/ National Student Clearinghouse: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/2026/01/15/fall-enrollment-increased-1-international-students-declined CORE Spaces: https://studenthousingbusiness.com/core-spaces-to-break-ground-on-2350-bed-mixed-use-development-near-university-of-south-carolina/ BDB Construction: https://studenthousingbusiness.com/bdb-construction-completes-phase-i-of-student-housing-conversion-project-in-manhattans-financial-district/