UK living sector investment activity reached £2.5bn in Q1 2026 – a 74% increase on the same period last year, according to new data from CBRE.
This followed investment of £2.95bn in Q4 2025. Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) assets accounted for £1.7bn of activity in the first quarter. Build-to-rent (BTR) investment volumes were lower in Q1 following a strong end to 2025, with more than £800m of assets sold.
The largest transaction was the acquisition of Ebb and Flow (pictured), a stabilised income producing multifamily BTR asset in Reading, by Pension Insurance Corporation.
Andrew Saunderson, head of UK living capital markets at CBRE, said: “Investor appetite for the UK living sector remains strong. This reflects how sustained demand from renters for professionally managed, high-quality accommodation is underpinning investment returns across all living sub-sectors. It is therefore not surprising that the living sector ranks first for most preferred target in our annual investor intentions survey.”
