Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing and The Scion Group to Acquire University of Mississippi Student Housing Portfolio for $262 Million
Morgan Stanley Investment Management, through investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing (MSREI), and The Scion Group announced today a joint venture to acquire a portfolio of student housing communities in Oxford, Mississippi, for a combined investment of $262 million. The portfolio is located within two miles of the University of Mississippi campus and comprises 600 apartments, townhomes and cottages with more than 2,000 beds.
"We are pleased to acquire this high-quality portfolio of student housing communities at the University of Mississippi offering a variety of product types and price points," said Will Milam, Head of U.S. Investments at Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing. "The dramatic supply-demand dynamics in the region have led to notable financial performance for these assets, which we expect to continue as the university continues to experience strong enrollment."
The acquisition of College Town Oxford, a cottage-style community located on the west side of the campus, closed earlier this month. The remaining acquisitions of a garden-style community located south of the campus and four smaller downtown Oxford properties, are expected to close in the third quarter of 2025. TSB Capital Advisors represented the new joint venture in arranging financing for the acquisitions.
"We are excited to enter this new joint venture with MSREI and appreciate their confidence in Scion," said Rob Bronstein, Chief Executive Officer of The Scion Group. "We share confidence in the ongoing attractiveness of the Ole Miss campus market, in which Scion continues to invest with this latest acquisition."
Student housing – particularly high quality, well-located assets proximate to leading colleges - exhibits strong fundamentals, such as resilient, counter-cyclical enrollment demand, generally moderating supply and an attractive yield profile. Investment funds managed by MSREI currently own 43 student housing properties across the United States totaling 17,700 beds.
About The Scion Group
The Scion Group is the largest owner/operator of off-campus student housing communities globally. Its current portfolio consists of over 94,000 beds of student accommodations in 144 communities, serving 82 college and university markets across 35 U.S. states. Scion employs more than 1,600 team members and has over $10 billion of assets under management, generating over $1 billion in annual aggregate revenues. It also acts as an independent advisor to colleges and universities, foundations, and private-sector providers, with experience in more than 300 campus markets.
About Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing
Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing (MSREI) is the global private real estate investment management business of Morgan Stanley. One of the most active property investors in the world for over three decades, MSREI employs a patient, disciplined approach through global value-add / opportunistic and regional core / core-plus real estate investment strategies. With 17 offices throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia, regional teams of dedicated real estate professionals combine a unique global perspective with local presence and significant transaction execution expertise. MSREI currently manages $53 billion of gross real estate assets worldwide on behalf of its clients.
About Morgan Stanley Investment Management
Morgan Stanley Investment Management, together with its investment advisory affiliates, has more than 1,400 investment professionals around the world and $1.6 trillion in assets under management or supervision as of March 31, 2025. Morgan Stanley Investment Management strives to provide strong long-term investment performance, outstanding service, and a comprehensive suite of investment management solutions to a diverse client base, which includes governments, institutions, corporations and individuals worldwide. For further information about Morgan Stanley Investment Management, please visit www.morganstanley.com/im.
About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in 42 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
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