AREA has a strong track record in investment services in the beds sector - in particular long income, hotels, PBSA and BTR.
Our best-in-class team can advise throughout the lifecycle from structuring deals and finance, to identifying opportunities, delivering transactions and asset management.
Market Analysis & Benchmarking
Investment & Portfolio strategy
Acquisitions & Disposals
Funding & Debt Solutions
Asset Management
Strategic Asset Underwriting
AREA’s best in class transactional team is underpinned by its detailed due diligence and underwriting which means clients can trust us to be honest about investment opportunities.
Our operational knowledge supports transactions by determining both opportunities and risks that others cannot see in both the short and long term.
Market Analysis & Benchmarking
Investment & Portfolio strategy
Strategic Asset Underwriting
Transactions
Volumes of transactions
Leased or operational beds
Beds unlocked through innovative funding structures
International Students House
The investment team are driven by long-term relationships and are not afraid to put the hard work in upfront to explore a strategic opportunity that’s right for a client or to advise a client to step away from a deal if it’s not in their best interests.
This approach has established the team as a trusted advisor to Whitbread and its market-leading hotel brand, delivering strategic direction and investment advice.
AREA advises Whitbread on investment strategy with their Acquisitions team, working to identify opportunities and executing acquisitions and disposals that align with their business objectives and drive long-term value.
Our ability to see the bigger picture and understand the entire lifecycle of an asset provides investors with competitive advantage.
Acquisitions & Disposals
Funding & Debt Solutions
Asset Management
Our ability to see the bigger picture and understand the entire lifecycle of an asset provides investors with competitive advantage.
We provide expert support across acquisitions, funding solutions, and asset management, helping clients deploy capital efficiently, optimise portfolios, and maximise value at every stage of the investment lifecycle.
Acquisitions & Disposals
Funding & Debt Solutions
Asset Management
International Students House
Aviva
Lothbury Investment Management
Whitbread Group plc
Our experts are handpicked and best in class within the Living and Alternatives sector. They offer advice across the lifecycle of an asset from development to investment and operation. All of us commit to going the extra mile for clients and have a forensic approach to determine and preempt challenges and opportunities.
AREA’s Operational Advisory service offers a forensic level of analysis and insight to identify value for clients through ensuring each of our client’s asset has the optimal operating model.
Whether that is identifying opportunities to reduce operating spend or enhancing revenue through changes to leasing strategies, AREA Operational Advisory team guide clients to achieve enhanced financial returns from their living sector investments.
Operator Selection & Tender Management
Revenue Setting & Pricing Audits
Dynamic Pricing Models
Operating Budget Setting & Audits
Scheme Optimisation & Accretive Capital Projects Oversight
Operational Mobilisation Auditing & Scheme Set up
Supplementary Income Optimisation
Forensically examining operating partners asset strategies identifying red flags and hidden opportunities that support asset performance in both the short and longer term, identifying cost savings and accretive opportunities
Rent Setting & Audits
Leasing & Dynamic Pricing Models
Operating Budget Setting & Audits
Retained Clients
Schemes
Cities
Living units
Columbia Threadneedle
Schroders Capital
BlackRock I PBSA
BP Investment Managers
4.0% reduction in operating expenditure year-on-year.
Retender of refuse contract generating 7% saving verses budgeted costs.
Restructuring of staffing model reducing site staff and contract services by 14% year-on-year.
Acquired in January 2024.
Leasing launched late in Q1 2024.
Room recategorisation to optimise leasing strategy.
12% Year-on-year revenue growth
Core occupancy of +99%.
AREA’s forensic approach to operating agreements, working across all operators in the UK living markets, identifies the optimum operating agreement for our clients and their portfolios
Full market tendering
Competitive dialogue for renewal of operating agreements with incumbent operators
Bespoke operational KPI matrix
ESG operational reporting
Living units tendered every year
Columbia Threadneedle
BP Investment Managers
Rushmoor Council
Confidential
Our experts are handpicked and best in class within the Living and Alternatives sector. They offer advice across the lifecycle of an asset from development to investment and operation. All of us commit to going the extra mile for clients and have a forensic approach to determine and preempt challenges and opportunities.
AREA has a strong track record in development consultancy services to developers and institutional landlords, providing unique insight from our investment and operational expertise that ensures the viability of delivering projects, whilst setting them up for long-term value enhancing and operational excellence.
Competitive dialogue for renewal of operating agreements with incumbent operators
Planning promotion including appointment of professional team, supervision of specification, employers requirements and design brief.
Prepared quarterly cashflows, forecasting and financial returns.
Development Appraisals
Scheme Viability & Optimisation
First generation ensuite led, direct let PBSA scheme requiring full refurbishment.
AREA led all macro PBSA market evaluation, room and student offer audit, feasibility studies at RIBA design stages and analysis of demand and rental levels relative to proposed specifications.
AREA prepared all operating cost analysis, financial viability testing and operator selection including post capital works asset mobilisation
Macro Market Intelligence
Data Evaluation
Financial Modelling
Organisation chart with roles and responsibilities matrix for key personnel.
Creation of mobilisation budgets, advising on initial set-up costs, utility contracts, marketing suite spend, office expenses, facility and service contracts.
Creation of pre-asset stabilisation cashflow and payroll budgeting analysis.
Oversight of marketing strategy, advising on optimal local advertising campaigns, promotional events, third party marketing fees and digital adverting.
Stabilised operating budget setting and benchmarking.
Asset manage all design, planning, procurement and contract stages for value enhancing capital Initiatives across PBSA, BRT and PRS schemes including:
1. Conversions
2. Extensions
3. Refurbishments
4. Amenity upgrades
Financial modelling of value enhancing initiatives.
Our experts are handpicked and best in class within the Living and Alternatives sector. They offer advice across the lifecycle of an asset from development to investment and operation. All of us commit to going the extra mile for clients and have a forensic approach to determine and preempt challenges and opportunities.
Talk to us now, we are happy to help.