COLLEGIATE UK IN NUMBERS

challenging space, mainly due to the pastoral care element. Many students are away from home for the first time, while some are living in an entirely different country.

“An international student could come here and find it very different to what they are used to. So, for us, it’s not only about the bricks and mortar, running the business and looking after investors, the interesting aspect is also ensuring that we are providing a great experience for our residents. We want to create an environment where everyone thrives,” acknowledges Moyle.

Collegiate UK views the students as customers paying for a service, hence quality common spaces and 24-hour security within an environment that gives the residents and their parents peace of mind. The company also understands the importance of the accommodation being a place that brings people together, who become firm friends outside of university life. The vision is to be the first choice for students by creating the best experiences and providing a home environment where everyone feels safe, comfortable and belongs.

Student Spaces Of The Future

Staff recruitment is a key focus for Collegiate UK. It is important for the business to find intelligent, careerdriven individuals to perpetuate our success. As well as possessing the correct skill set, fitting into the ethos and culture of the company is non-negotiable.

“We have all heard culture eats strategy for breakfast and at Collegiate UK we work on developing a positive environment. You spend so much of your life working for someone that you want to enjoy what you are doing and be aligned to what is going on,” notes Moyle. “The single most important aspect for our success is the hiring and training of outstanding people who get our culture. Long term this is going to give us a competitive advantage.”

The statement is exemplified by the business waiting for a year to hire a Director of Marketing until the right person was found for the Executive Team. In fact, the Collegiate UK Executive Team was built from scratch.

“How we interact as a team begins at the top and flows through an organisation. We have a lot of employees that have been with us for a long time, and we have developed their careers into management positions. We have nurtured a lot of junior people along the way, and many have stayed with us,” Moyle says proudly.

The company recognises that by bringing different organisations together, the cultural element within the business is bought into the spotlight and it requires work. In addition to culture, embedding scalable systems and processes to have in place for when the company grows again is also important.

“We already have fantastic systems and people, but we now have an opportunity to look at what we did well and what we can do better. We want to fulfil everything we promise to our customers and investors.”

Arlington Assets

Having onboarded 7,000 beds in the past two years alone, the company sees a real opportunity to grow in the UK.

“We have recently onboarded two properties in Chester, the last of the assets owned by Arlington’s investors which are to be transferred. Previously, they were managed by another operator. Arlington Advisors is always looking for opportunities to expand the business, and as assets are purchased, the plan is to have Collegiate UK managing them. This is the last piece of a combination of two years hard work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is an amazing story to buy a company, transfer all these buildings under the cloud of COVID-19, to add an extra 100 staff over that period and to then combine the staff of five different operators into one organisation. I don’t know anyone else who has done that during such a challenging time.”

There are two arms of the business to grow - the third-party operator and the owner-operator.

“I am comfortable that in the future there will be other assets onboarded outside the Arlington Advisors portfolio, as we look to expand in the UK.

“Although we see some fantastic opportunities outside of the UK market, the expansion has to be right for our business. Ultimately, we want to grow but the UK is our home for the moment,” Moyle closes.

Collegiate UK endeavours to work more closely with the students, via projects, forums and focus groups, to establish how to improve its future product offering.

“As their asset management company, it is important that the investors get their return. Moreover, from a customer standpoint, we want to make sure that our residents receive an enjoyable experience and make friends for life,” concludes Moyle.

By offering a unique experience for students who want to socialise and study, one thing is clear, Collegiate UK is more than somewhere to live, it is a lifestyle.