How UPP Improved Market Understanding and Reduced Research Time
East Park student accommodation at the University of Exeter

CHALLENGE

Sourcing accurate data

UPP relied on multiple sources, making market insights inconsistent and difficult to verify in a fast-changing landscape.

SOLUTION

Gain a reliable and consistent view of the market

StudentCrowd’s platform provided accurate, up-to-date market intelligence used daily for pricing, reporting, and strategic decisions

RESULTS

Time saved, strategy sharpened and improved confidence

Research is faster, reporting more consistent, and stakeholders now trust the data behind every decision.

About UPP

With a reputation for delivering next-generation campuses at scale, UPP is the UK’s only multi-discipline, full-service Design, Build, Fund and Operate (DBFO) company that is dedicated to the Higher Education sector.  Specialising in long-term partnerships with universities, it works with 15 world-class institutions to provide a total of 35,000 rooms, the majority of which are on campus, and deliver an enhanced student experience. 

 

The challenge

For UPP, the challenge was sourcing accurate data. 

Before subscribing to StudentCrowd, the team relied on data from multiple sources, including universities, HESA, UCAS and other accommodation providers. Data was fragmented and often late, and without any real focus on PBSA pricing and incentives, it was difficult to present a consistent market view to university partners or shareholders.

“The challenge is keeping up with an ever-growing and changing market. Changing pipeline, changing political landscape and regulations regarding HMOs — being able to accurately source all that data has become almost impossible.” Will Brookes, Partnerships & SPV ManagerWill Brookes,

 

The solution

To gain a reliable and consistent view of the market, UPP turned to StudentCrowd. It has now become a part of day-to-day operations, with data included in reports, referenced in conversations, and used to confirm or deny the team’s intuitions.   

How UPP is using the platform:

  • Raw data: UPP’s Head of Research and Customer Intelligence pulls the raw data into Power BI for bespoke modelling and analysis.  

  • Insights tool: The dashboard is used across the business to gain a quick, visual summary of what’s happening in the market.  

  • Analysis tool: Allows for in-depth analysis of trends and patterns to aid major strategic decisions. 

The products are applied in several key areas across the business:

  • Rent and incentive setting: Used annually to guide pricing and incentive strategies, university partners can see clear, data-backed evidence for the recommendations. 
“We have proof, we have the graphs, we have the narrative.”
  • Board and shareholder reporting: Helps create visuals and narrative for board meetings with partners, shareholder updates and other reports.
  • Monitoring market health: Pricing and incentives data is used to assess how cities are performing and where demand is rising or starting to fall.
“If I see prices rocketing down and incentives rocketing up, I know that the city is in trouble.”
  • Interpreting student behaviour: Raw incentives data (e.g. breakdown of cash, vouchers, travel) offers insight into what’s important to students.
“The incentive text piece from the raw data is really useful… breaking it down helps us understand what students are responding to this cycle.” 

 

The results

Having access to the StudentCrowd platform has saved time, sharpened strategy and improved confidence.

  • Significant time savings
    Not only has research time been cut down significantly, but it’s easy to rerun the analysis each time it’s needed.
“To scrape all of that data would be the job of at least three people.”
  • More consistent reporting

    Access to the same reliable data sources on a month-to-month basis allows for easier comparisons over time.  
“The fact that you are picking the same data from the same data sources is something we haven’t had before. Having access to virtually live data is very impressive.”
  • Better stakeholder communications

    Visual graphs in reports and presentations enhance communication with shareholders and universities.
“The fact that I can get a graphical output helps even the least data-minded people to understand the insights.”
  • Stronger relationships

    Displaying industry knowledge and insights helps to build confidence and credibility with partners and shareholders. 
“There’s an expectation that we are more data-driven, and it’s certainly appreciated by shareholders.”

StudentCrowd has helped UPP deliver more to its partners: interpreting the market, informing strategy and building stronger relationships.

“StudentCrowd is a single source of truth providing accurate market insights.”