Residential real estate leader joins panel discussion to address what college students want
RALEIGH, NC – February 15, 2011 – Donna Preiss, Founder and CEO of The Preiss Company, recently participated in the DC Student Housing Summit sponsored by Bisnow held on February 1st at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC. Joining Preiss in the panel discussion were moderator Lee Carter, Pillsbury Law (Partner), David Adelman, Campus Apartments (President/CEO), Donnie Gross, Potomac Holdings (Owner), Bob Keane, WDG Architecture (Principal), and Tom Calhoun, George Mason University (VP, Facilities).
Bisnow (www.bisnow.com) is a vast media empire consisting of seventeen daily e-newsletters focused on business niches in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, South Florida, and Washington, DC, as well as a national e-newsletter. In the fields they cover, the company currently has over 250,000 subscribers. This year’s student housing summit addressed the question: What do students want? With college enrollments on the rise, even through the economic downturn, student housing demand has continued to grow and is expected to continue growing over the coming years. With that in mind, student housing continues to be a sound financial investment and a point of continued interest.
The Preiss Company is one of the largest providers of off-campus student housing in the United States and currently manages 13,000 beds throughout the southeast and Pennsylvania. The company is a huge proponent of providing a social atmosphere at its sites rather than them merely being a place to live. In addition to providing social events such as trivia nights and game day events, The Preiss Company has also spent several million dollars in upgrading its infrastructures with stainless steel appliances, hardwood flooring, and upscale club houses and fitness facilities. Preiss says that these kinds of capital expenditures are necessary in order to remain competitive and to attract today’s more discerning off-campus resident.
“Student housing buildings are now five-star hotels,” says Preiss. “By offering state-of-the-art fitness equipment, sparkling pools, hi-tech computer facilities, and upscale club houses, student housing providers are pulling out all the stops in order to set themselves apart in this highly-competitive marketplace, and The Preiss Company is no exception.”
Topics discussed during the 90-minute panel discussion included how the increasing housing demand will be met, which schools are leading the way in big developments, where are the best investment opportunities and what are the drivers behind them, where is the money coming from to finance new investments and developments, how can one take advantage of rent growth, and what new products are being developed in response to the demand spike. For a list of upcoming Bisnow events, visit http://www.bisnow.com/events.php.
About The Preiss Company
Founded in 1987 by Donna Preiss, The Preiss Company is the leader in the development of new technologies, tools, and strategies for the student housing industry and also acts as a receiver for several national banks. In its 24th year, the company employs over 250 team members and has formed over 50 partnerships and developed over 20 projects stretching from Maryland to Texas. For more information, visit www.tpco.com.
