DREF launches new branding for student accommodation units

Deutsche Real Estate Funds (DREF) has launched a new brand 'TWENTY FIRST student living' for its 3,000-unit student accommodation portfolio.

DREF will let its residential units directly to students in future under this branding. TWENTY FIRST offers a full-range of services online relating to finding accommodation and the associated formalities.

The branding and online platform will initially be used for six student residences in Berlin, Bremen, Kiel and Stuttgart. Next, all additional portfolio properties of DREF will be integrated into the platform step by step. In March 2016, over 3,000 units are expected to be available for booking. The branding will also be extended to existing properties that have been refurbished.

DREF has 3,000 new-build, refurbished and in-refurbishment student accommodation units which will be branded over the course of the next three months.

Explaining the rationale behind the new branding, Felix Bauer, CEO of Deutsche Real Estate Funds, told PropertyEU: 'We have analysed the market together with students and what came pout of that is that they want to identify themselves with their student housing provider and connect to it by a name, a brand.'

'They want to have more services now than just a flat. That is more than only internet but includes other services, like an online community and cleaning,' he said. Bauer added that students also wanted to understand the pricing policy for rooms and to know what services were included in their contract.