Investing in non-traditional real estate with attractive, steady and defensible demand drivers

The cycle-resilient user demand for Harrison Street’s target real estate sectors are derived from demographic trends: an aging population that continues to grow and live longer; increasing college enrollments; and a more mobile population. Additionally, these highly-fragmented asset classes generally have short-term leases, which the Firm believes can be beneficial in inflationary environments, allowing rents to re-price more frequently.

Long-tenured investor in alternative real estate sectors across the risk-return spectrum

US Opportunistic Fund Strategy
Launched in 2006, the opportunistic fund strategy has completed over $34 billion of gross investments (approximately 929 assets) since inception and disposed of 579 properties with a gross cost of over $13 billion. The strategy’s investment focus is to create a diversified portfolio of assets in demographic-driven real estate. The strategy seeks to create value through the acquisition, development, redevelopment and/or repositioning of assets in the target sectors in partnership with strong operating partners.

The strategy has invested in over 118,000 student housing beds, approximately 31,300 senior housing units, over 12.2 million square feet of medical office space, nearly 5.1 million square feet of life sciences, approximately 622MW of data center capacity, over 7,400 build-to-rent units and over 144,000 storage units. The following provides a summary of funds sponsored under the opportunistic strategy: 

FundVintage YearFund StatusFund Size
Fund I2006Fully liquidated$208 million
Fund II2008Fully liquidated$432 million
Fund III2010Fully liquidated$596 million
Fund IV2013Disposition phase$750 million
Fund V2014Disposition phase$850 million
Fund VI2016Disposition phase$950 million
Fund VII2019Value creation phase$1.3 billion
Fund VIII2021Investment period$2.0 billion

US Core Strategy
Launched in 2011, Harrison Street’s core strategy was created to provide investment in stabilized, cash-flow producing real estate with demographic-driven demand. The strategy focuses on investments in student housing, both on and off campus, and other education-related real estate investments; senior housing including independent living, assisted living and memory care communities; medical office buildings and other healthcare-related real estate investments; life sciences buildings and storage properties.

Since its inception, the strategy has consistently produced an attractive distribution yield. Assets managed under the core strategy are valued over $19.3 billion and consists of a diversified portfolio of 479 properties.

European Opportunistic Fund Strategy
Harrison Street has invested over €5.4 billion in over 19,000 student housing beds, over 5,900 specialty residential units and nearly 2.1 million square feet of life sciences throughout Europe. The following provides a summary of funds sponsored under the European opportunistic strategy:

FundVintage YearFund StatusFund Size
Fund I2015Fully liquidated€235 million
Fund II2017Disposition phase€500 million
Fund III2019Value creation phase€655 million

Canada Alternative Fund
Launched in August 2021, Harrison Street’s alternative real estate open-end fund will provide investment in stabilized, cash-flow producing real estate with demographic-driven demand across Canada. The fund will invest in high-quality senior living, student housing, medical office, life sciences, storage and digital real estate assets. The fund has invested in over 1,700 student housing beds, nearly 1,000 senior housing units, over 218,000 square feet of medical office space, and nearly 77,200 square feet of life sciences.

“Harrison Street’s research-based approach to investing across established and emerging alternative European real asset sectors draws from our deep sector expertise, extensive partner relationships and unwavering commitment to innovation. As first movers in demographic-driven, needs-based real estate investing in the U.S., we are able to identify and pursue unique European opportunities across our core sectors and create differentiated investment solutions to help our sophisticated clients achieve their objectives.”

Paul Bashir, CEO EUROPE