Urban Being: the future of city living
New lifestyles, new demands
Urbanisation, new lifestyles, different work patterns and increasing mobility are changing Europe’s cities. What used to be referred to as ‘generation rent’ has become a phenomenon that goes well beyond a narrow demographic group.
This has prompted growing investor interest in Private Rented Sector (PRS), later living and co-living in particular. No surprise that we should move on from ‘sheds’ which we covered in our last report to exploring the ‘beds’ sector this year.
This report considers housing and demographic pressures in six key cities: London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, Manchester and Glasgow. Through a major census of almost 6,500 people (more than 1,000 respondents per city), we uncover the preferences of consumers when it comes to their living environment.
In particular, we explore how affordability and supply issues, coupled with shifting technological,economic and lifestyle factors, are shaping demand for rented residential solutions across generations and societal groups.
We contrast these views with the findings of a major industry poll where we have gathered the perspectives of more than 200 global real estate investors, developers and agents who are active across residential alternatives, including student accommodation, co-living, build-to-rent (BtR) and retirement living.
A key element of our research is eleven in-depth interviews with leading investors, developers and operators active across the spectrum of ‘beds for rent’. They give a wide-ranging perspective on what the opportunities and challenges are in delivering rented housing to meet present and future needs.
Our findings indicate that we are going to see unprecedented levels of interest and investment in all forms of rented accommodation in Europe’s leading cities. This will reshape the local housing markets from an economic and political standpoint, but more importantly will better reflect how people of all ages want to live, work and play in our cities in the future.
We hope you enjoy reading our report. If you’d like to discuss any of its themes in more detail, we would welcome a conversation.
Cities in context
Methodology
Risks and rewards
Made to measure
Suspended animation
What renters want
Interviews
Interview - As investors we need to find other angles in order to access the residential market
Interview - PRS is one of the most stable and best performing asset classes in real estate
Interview - Urbanisation is leading to PRS opportunities across the world
Interview - We’re only scratching the surface in terms of how technology will enhance our living experience
Interview - By making it an aspirational decision, we can motivate older people to take this step
Interview - New lifestyles demand the kind of flexibility and amenity we offer
Interview - People are placing more value on experiences rather than things
Interview - To build out an area almost from scratch in London is a unique opportunity
Interview - We determine the best way to create spaces that bring excitement and energy back
Interview - Education is one of the UK's greatest exports
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Urban Being: The Future of City Living
If you would like further details of our findings, please contact us.
