Summer 2025
Issue #41
Letter from the CEO
As we look back on the first half of 2025, I continue to be inspired by the resilience, energy, and drive of our Campus Advantage team. This edition of the Campus Advocate is packed with stories that highlight the culture, innovation, and excellence that truly set us apart.
We kicked off the year aboard the Momentum Summit cruise, where our Leasing Managers and corporate team came together to learn, grow, and set an ambitious tone for the months ahead. Not long after, we gathered in Austin for our 18th annual FOCUS Conference and CAmmy Awards — an incredible celebration of our people and their impact. These events are more than milestones; they serve as reminders of how strong we are when we come together and stay aligned toward a shared vision.
In this issue, you’ll also read about exciting honors, such as our partnership with Elauwit earning a Student Housing Business Innovator Award, as well as inspiring stories of team members like Ariel, Michael, Tionna, Nneka, Christopher, Traci, and Jenna who continue to lead with purpose and passion. Their efforts — from creating stronger resident experiences to driving leasing success — are what fuel the momentum behind everything we do. We’re also thrilled to welcome new teams in Ithaca, New York, and Johnson City, Tennessee, to the Campus Advantage family, and we look forward to the positive impact they will bring.
As always, we remain focused on delivering unmatched service to our residents and clients. Our owned-asset portfolio is pre-leasing ahead of last year, and our rent growth continues to outperform the market — a testament to the strength of our strategy and the dedication of the people executing it every day. These achievements don’t happen by chance; they are the result of consistent effort, collaboration, and a shared commitment to excellence.
I hope this edition reminds you of the meaningful work we do and the difference we make together. Thank you for your continued dedication and for bringing the Campus Advantage mission to life in everything you do. Lastly, good luck to all those team members preparing for turn season — we know it’s an intense time, and we look forward to celebrating your success as new residents move in.
Mike Peter
President and CEO
Campus Advantage and Elauwit Receive Student Housing Business Innovator Award for Best Off-Campus Bandwidth, Connectivity, IoT Solution
Campus Advantage and Elauwit Connection received the Student Housing Business Innovator Award for Best Off-Campus Bandwidth/Connectivity/IoT Solution at the InterFace Student Housing conference. The award recognized their upgrade of Wi-Fi infrastructure at The Spoke in Davis, California, providing reliable, high-speed connectivity and improved resident experiences through advanced technology.
Campus Advantage selected as Property Manager for 5-Property Portfolio in Ithaca, NY
Campus Advantage has been chosen to manage a five-property student housing portfolio in Ithaca, New York, in partnership with FLX Real Estate Management Group. The portfolio includes approximately 2,035 beds across Collegetown communities near Cornell University. This partnership combines Campus Advantage’s operational expertise with FLX’s local market knowledge to elevate the student living experience.
Campus Advantage Assumes Management of The Harbor, a Rebranded Student Housing Community in Johnson City, TN
Campus Advantage has assumed management of The Harbor, a newly rebranded student housing community in Johnson City, Tennessee, near East Tennessee State University. The community offers fully furnished apartments with modern features and amenities designed for students. Campus Advantage plans to enhance operations and resident experiences through its proven management strategies and student-focused programs.
Campus Advantage and Catalyst Announce the 2025 Future Lives Here Scholarship Winner
In April, Campus Advantage and Catalyst Marketing announced the winner of the third annual Future Lives Here Scholarship. McKenzie Lewis from Park East won the $5,000 scholarship for the upcoming academic year. This scholarship reflects our shared commitment to supporting the next generation of students and creating thriving communities. Open to all students, the scholarship encourages applicants to submit their responses to three short prompts in written, audio, or video format.
2025 Momentum Summit Recap
In January, Campus Advantage Leasing Managers and corporate team members kicked off the year with five energizing days of training, collaboration, and connection during Momentum Summit — all aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. The summit featured engaging workshops, team-building beach challenges, after-hours hangouts, and even a mini CAmmy Awards ceremony, setting a strong tone for the year ahead.
Bringing together team members from across the country, the experience fostered meaningful in-person connections, personal growth, and plenty of sunshine along the way. Hear what our team had to say about this unforgettable start to 2025.
“There has not been a day where I have not felt unsupported or appreciated. One of my favorite moments, thus far, was the Momentum Summit for the leasing and marketing team.” – Christopher L.
2025 FOCUS/CAmmys Recap
In February, we came together in Austin for our 18th annual FOCUS Conference, bringing team members from Campus Advantage, Catalyst, and Centricity for a week of learning and collaboration. The conference kicked off with home office tours and a fun trivia night, followed by insightful sessions from our partners. The final day included impactful leadership workshops and a “Share Your Impact” session, leaving everyone inspired and energized.
The week wrapped up with the highly anticipated CAmmy Awards, where we celebrated the outstanding achievements of our team. It was an unforgettable evening that reflected our culture of excellence, connection, and celebration. Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to everyone who made this event such a success. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for FOCUS 2026!
Employee Spotlight
Michael Hunt Follows Through on His Word
Ariel Douglas Empowers Sites by Building Connections
Tionna Williams Can Handle It All
Nneka Thomas Brings Passion and Purpose to Seattle Living
Christopher Lee Is a Travel Warrior with a Passion for People
Traci Knights LEADS with Heart AND A Creative Force at Ducks Village
JENNA HERNANDEZ IS Riding the Wave of Growth with Grit and Heart
2025 DEI Committee Members
Please welcome the members of our 2025 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee! From leading the mission of DEI and organizing meetings, to assisting with the development, execution, and on-site adoption of programming and initiatives, our Committee Chairs, Group Leaders, Ambassadors, and Advocates will play an essential role in leading the mission of DEI within the committee and Campus Advantage this year. Congratulations to all!
Committee Chairs:
- Melissa Hinton, Lead Chair
- Stormy Hofmann, Chair
- Chris Berger, Chair
Group Leaders:
- Tionna Williams
- Jamir Card
Ambassadors:
- Cody Burch
- Lisa Marie Barry
Advocates:
- Karitza Spivey
- Keith Fisher
- Kyleigh Borges
Property Doctor Services Selects Centricity to Provide Comprehensive Suite of Human Resources Services
Property Doctor Services has selected Centricity to provide a comprehensive suite of human resources services, enhancing the company’s ability to gain, manage, and retain top talent. This collaboration will encompass talent acquisition, employee management, compensation strategies, and other HR solutions specifically tailored to support Property Doctor Services’ operational needs and growth objectives.
With Centricity’s knowledge in HR services, Property Doctor Services aims to streamline its processes, optimize employee performance, and ensure that the right talent is in place to drive success. This partnership is a step toward strengthening the company’s internal operations and fostering a productive, motivated workforce.
Centricity Center
Working hand in hand with Campus Advantage, Centricity is redefining how student housing communities approach revenue management, offering strategic pricing, in-depth market analysis, and data-backed consulting services. Built on years of industry insight, Centricity empowers communities to make smarter decisions, optimize performance, and stay competitive in evolving markets.
By aligning strategic insight with operational excellence, Centricity plays a key role in helping Campus Advantage communities stay competitive, adapt to shifting market trends, and achieve sustainable growth. Explore the latest updates and press releases at centricityres.com.
Centricity Awarded Full Suite of Support Services for Valiance Capital
Centricity has been selected by Valiance Capital to provide a full suite of support services for their student housing portfolio. This collaboration includes revenue management, market research, branding, digital marketing, and lease-up strategy — all designed to enhance asset value and support Valiance’s expansion in key markets.
The partnership highlights Centricity’s ability to deliver comprehensive, data-informed solutions tailored to the unique needs of student housing developers and owners.
We’re Hiring!
Do you know a passionate, motivated individual who wants to be part of a company that encourages, supports, and inspires employees to achieve their full potential? One that is committed to cultivating and developing a diverse and inclusive culture? A culture that also believes in taking our work and our communities, but not ourselves, seriously?
At Campus Advantage, our team is the core of our success. We hire based on experience and character, keeping an eye to diversity, equity, and inclusion for everyone. We seek out new team members who are passionate about making raving fans of our residents and clients — and having fun while doing so! If you know someone who fits this description and would like to be part of a team who loves what they do, check out our open positions and send them our way!
Investor’s Corner
Aside from the pandemic, 9/11, and the Great Recession, it is hard to remember a more volatile time in the general economy over the past couple of decades. Concerns over tariffs and long-term relationships between the United States and its allies have investors scrambling to find the best places to invest during this turbulence. Despite these headwinds, the national student housing market continues to show strength.
National student pre-leasing has closed the gap versus last year and is now ahead by 1.6%. This compares to December’s pace when pre-leasing was behind YOY by 1.3%. It appears that owners are turning to concessions a bit earlier in the season this year to push velocity as compared to last year when they held rates a bit longer and then had more significant concessions toward the end of the season. At Campus Advantage, we are pleased to have our owned-asset portfolio pre-leasing ahead of last year by 3.0%. This is an improvement over December’s 1.7% figure.
National asking rent is 4.8% higher than last year, well ahead of December’s 4.15% figure. However, this late portion of the leasing season is typically when concessions are used more liberally, and the effective rate is likely not rising in lockstep with the asking rate.
The capital markets environment has not been as disjointed as we would have expected over the past few months. For all the talk of volatility surrounding Trump 2.0 and tariffs, the 10-year Treasury yield is roughly where it was around Election Day, about 4.45%. It has certainly moved a great deal between then and now, although it is interesting that we sit roughly in the middle of its range since Election Day, where 10-year Treasury yields have risen as high as 4.80% and dipped as low as 4%. Unless tariffs are further reduced, it is hard to think that inflation won’t increase across the broader economy. At least for now, debt is still readily available, and life insurance companies in particular have money they would like to deploy. So if a deal checks the typical institutional boxes, there is significant competition for deals. The reverse is obviously true as well.
Transaction volume for the full year of 2024 was up overall by 43% over a weak 2023 total volume, but much of that volume came from two larger portfolios of roughly $1.2 billion and $1.6 billion. Without those portfolio transactions, transaction volume would result in an increase of just 11%. Campus Advantage has taken advantage of a lack of transaction pipeline to sell several assets opportunistically this spring while continuing to pursue acquisition opportunities.
Scott Barton
Chief Investment Officer