Update: August 2020 – Student Housing
Most equity markets saw price rises in the past month, following further signs of a recovery in the second half of the year. The UK economy followed suit after a sharper contraction in output in Q2. However, the unwinding of government support could limit bounce-back this year;
For the property market, any recuperation in occupier demand is likely to be gradual, which could mean that commercial values continue to fall for the remainder of this year. While investment activity continued to improve in July, this was due largely to strong interest in office and alternative assets.
Following the government’s recent U-turn on A-Level results, an absolute rise in students receiving university offers for this year and next will offset some of the initial fears about student numbers, although potential downside risk remains.