In this episode, Matt and Courtney chat with Mike Porritt, the International Vice President for The Scion Group, the largest privately-held owner/operator of student housing communities in the United States. The company’s current portfolio includes 87 properties comprised of approximately 58,700 beds over 29 states.
Mike has 15 years of executive director or director-level experience in student housing at institutions in the United States and Canada. Over that time, he says he’s unfortunately seen a shift towards a “money first” ideology in the property management industry, especially in student housing.
“Helping students succeed through their experiences in housing leads to success and revenue. Student housing is not just a place to warehouse students. Off-campus or on campus, it is an experience that helps them learn, grow, and succeed. When you focus on that, the money takes care of itself through reputation, retention, and student-to-student recruitment.”
Mike says he believes property managers need to focus on two things: affordability and student success.
“The student experience matters – for your bottom line and for the students success, which, don’t forget, is the success of society itself after they graduate. We cannot, morally and for the future, make the have/have not divide even bigger.”
If you focus on these things, he says, the rest will follow.
Resources The Scion Group website: https://thesciongroup.com/ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/mike-porritt-1b89321a/
