What property attributes are important to UK university students in their online accommodation search?

Olayiwola Oladiran, Adesola Sunmoni, Saheed Ajayi, Jiarong Guo, Muhammad Azeem Abbas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose
This paper examines the categories of property attributes that are important to UK university students in their online accommodation search. It also analyses the volume of information displayed regarding the property attributes and explores the influence of some of the information provided on the attractiveness and by extension, the booking potential of the property.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors use data from an online student accommodation listing platform – student.com – which contain tangible and non-tangible property attributes, and the data are analysed using a hedonic regression model.

Findings
The results show that purpose-built student accommodation's (PBSA) tangible and intangible attributes are important to students in their online accommodation search, although, these attributes vary in impact. The study also reveals that failure to display key information of a PBSA may reduce the attractiveness of the property.

Originality/value
The empirical evidence on student accommodation ex ante preferences and choices is limited, particularly as it relates to online accommodation search in a UK context. The authors' approach to identify the application of the search theory to the student accommodation search process is particularly unique.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)130-151
Number of pages36
JournalJournal of European Real Estate Research
Volume16
Issue number1
Early online date6 Jul 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 May 2023

Keywords

  • Hedonic model
  • Online search
  • Operational real estate
  • PBSA
  • PropTech
  • Purpose-built student accommodation

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