Sustainability is a core topic for the TPMS team. Not only are we passionate about how we support our property clients to put sustainability front and centre but as our business grows and develops, how we ensure we do business in the best way for the environment.

Of the International students who took our survey, 24% were post-graduate, compared to the 5% of Domestic students. This follows the figures covered by UniversitiesUK which says that international students make up 15% of undergrads and nearly 40% of post-grads.

It is therefore worth noting that many of the below trends may be influenced by the age and maturity of post-graduate students, rather than solely related to the nationality of the survey takers.

Unfortunately, marketing isn’t always appreciated as the long-term investment it is. During times of financial uncertainty, organisations want to see quick wins and quick ROIs. And when evaluating the perceived value of resources, it’s often marketing that takes the hit.

But this approach can be catastrophic in the long run.

Many would argue that marketing is actually one of the most essential aspects of your business during a recession.

As Harvard Business Review states: “Firms which cut costs faster and deeper during tough times than rivals don’t flourish and have the lowest probability of pulling ahead of the competition when times get better.”

As The Property Marketing Strategists move through a series of research pillars, our latest webinar - focused on our five research pillars as whole - reviews data collected from our Living and Learning survey.

Gen Z is already disrupting worldwide views and movements. As they move into the student population and working world, we can expect to see great change influenced by their values, beliefs and expectations.

In this final, concluding webinar, we wanted to take some time to reflect on all of the research carried out over the past year, and the key points highlighted from our findings.

As The Property Marketing Strategists move through a series of research pillars, our latest webinar - focused on the pillar of technology - reviews data collected from our Living and Learning survey.

Gen Z is already disrupting worldwide views and movements. As they move into the student population and working world, we can expect to see great change influenced by their values, beliefs and expectations.

During this webinar, we will discuss the technology pillar of our research initiative with a panel of experts.

As The Property Marketing Strategists move through a series of research pillars, our latest webinar - focused on the pillar of affordability - reviews data collected from our Living and Learning survey.

Gen Z is already disrupting worldwide views and movements. As they move into the student population and working world, we can expect to see great change influenced by their values, beliefs and expectations.

Something important is happening in the marketing world right now that deserves a mention. That is the fact that TikTok and Instagram are now being used as search engines by Gen Z. Even more so than Google & Google Maps. As Lumen 5 writes, 40% of Gen Z now use TikTok as their preferred search engine.

Whether it’s a holiday destination, a product, employer, or accommodation, it’s clear that Gen Z are seeking out ‘real life’ content that resonates with them. Seeing real people in real situations helps them connect to a brand and visualise themselves as a consumer.

As The Property Marketing Strategists move through a series of research pillars, our latest webinar - focused on the pillar of wellbeing - reviews data collected from our Living and Learning survey.

Gen Z as a cohort places a great emphasis on mental and physical wellbeing. Undoubtedly exacerbated by the pandemic, Gen Z have experienced social traumas and societal challenges that may have forever changed their ideal of wellbeing, and in turn their expectations of student accommodations and PBSA.

The rise of online learning schedules has seen students spend more time in their accommodation than ever before. And that trend translates to the BTR sector, where more and more tenants are under remote and hybrid working agreements, spending more time in their flats and even more time using on-site facilities.

In response to these trends, we are consistently seeing announcements of new developments in PBSA and BTR. They mostly boast all impressive new facilities such as cinema rooms, gyms and concierges. We can’t argue that these are great assets. They’re attractive to investors and potential tenants, and of course they add a nice little ego boost.

But we need to be careful here. Are we losing sight of the market needs and demand?

If you work in student accommodation; whether you are a university partner, have a nominations agreement or a secret nominations agreement, or whether you just want to provide the best possible service, having a great relationship with the University is really valuable and really powerful.

As The Property Marketing Strategists move through a series of research pillars, our latest webinar - focused on the pillar of ‘Community’ - reviews data collected from our Living and Learning survey.

The first question we have to ask is: ‘What does community mean to you?’

The Accommodation Costs Survey 2021 was released by Unipol and NUS, and we have written the following summary to highlight the key points with relevance to the PBSA sector, and perhaps provide us with some direction as to what the future holds.

As the report accurately points out, the student experience has transformed over the last 50 years against the backdrop of social, economical and political upheaval. And the last two years were perhaps the most poignant yet. With disruptions to living arrangements, international students returning home, and reports of, even further, mental health deterioration, the pressure is on accommodation providers to implement the necessary support services, and deliver a more cohesive package that reflects the broadening requirements of students. The experience of the pandemic has accelerated the trend of providers having a bigger role to play in student wellbeing.

The Property Marketing Strategists (TPMS), a property consultancy which puts research at the heart of design and services, has partnered with leading on-campus student accommodation provider UPP and research house, Dataloft, to find out what Gen Z actually want when it comes to their home.

As we find ourselves in this uncertain, post-pandemic world, you’d be forgiven for assuming all efforts should be geared towards your website. However, new research is supporting an omnichannel approach.

During the pandemic, many brands were forced into survival mode. An ‘innovate or die’ ultimatum.

More often than not, that meant building a standout online presence. A seamless e-commerce platform that not only helped companies appear innovative and relevant but maintained their sales and communications throughout the lockdown period.

Marketing in the property world has always been an entire discipline in its own right. And with worldwide changes in customer expectations, technology advances, and communications, new audiences and ways of thinking are emerging.

These will dictate any property marketing strategy. So a willingness to lean into a strong, yet agile strategy will be the deciding factor on how you succeed in delivering your brand and ultimately, selling your product.

Taking a step back and looking at tenant behaviour and what they’re looking for most in their property is key to shaping BTR and PBSA. By doing so and looking at your demographic’s wants and needs – whether those are coworking spaces, gyms, or even supermarkets – will inform you best on how to shape your product.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt across all generations. But for Gen Z, it was at a time in their lives when they were meant to explore, be adventurous, find themselves and start to live independently. At home or whilst studying. We all know that where you live has a significant impact on wellbeing and mental health. In the middle of the pandemic, when students are isolated in their student accommodation or their home separated from their peers and studies, the place they stayed played a key role in their experience of 2020.

So, how have this generation faired during the pandemic, and how did student accommodation experiences impacts this?

Have you thought about hiring a marketing consultant but not sure if it’s right for you? Or are you looking for a solution to your marketing needs but not sure where to turn?

We’ve listed our top 9 benefits of hiring a marketing consultant for your business.

Without a comprehensive strategy, you’re leaving things to chance. Content marketing can be incredibly effective but without a strategy underpinning its creation and delivery, it might not hit the right prospects at the right time. Establishing your audience’s challenges and objectives and positioning your content to align with them is one way to supercharge your activity.

This is the relationship between functional and strategic marketing, and this is why it will be so vital to your success.

The student accommodation sector collectively faces a new string of challenges as we head into the 2020s.