Member Article

Adderstone Group triumph at regional student housing awards

Adderstone Group’s dedicated letting agency, Exchange Residential has triumphed at the regional student housing ‘Oscars’.

The team behind Exchange Residential were voted Newcastle’s Student Letting Agent of the Year at the second ever North East Student Housing Awards (NESHA) held at Newcastle’s Assembly Rooms.

In addition Adderstone Group’s Union Square student accommodation retained the prestigious award for North East and Newcastle Student Hall of the Year, and team member Jeremy Belton walked off with the Property Manager of the Year accolade.

The awards, which are voted for by a panel of 16 property-based experts across a host of sectors, are the culmination of a great year which has seen Exchange Residential, based in Upper Ouseburn, almost double the size of its portfolio, sourcing and managing quality accommodation for over 1500 students.

The North East Student Housing Awards, which began in 2015, aim to celebrate those in the region who continuously go above and beyond legislation to deliver property, services and standards at the highest possible level, with the hope of improving standards overall.

Exchange Residential was established almost 15 years ago and, over the years, has provided accommodation for more than 20,000 students. The award for Newcastle Student Letting Agent of the Year was one of the most fiercely contested categories but judges highlighted the customer service and team spirit which set apart the Exchange Residential team.

It was a second year of success for Union Square, also situated in Upper Ouseburn, which is currently home to 233 students from 24 countries across the world, after retaining the award for North East Student Hall of the Year, a title it also won in 2015.

Union Square is the largest student accommodation development completed to date by Adderstone Group, and the award is recognition for the team behind the project.

Union Square won Newcastle Halls of the Year before also walking away with the North East crown, after being assessed by a tough panel of industry experts including Ian Fletcher, Director of Policy at the British Property Federation, Peter Savage, President of the Association of Residential Landlords (ARLA), Steve Simpson, local representative from the National Landlords Association, as well as student sabbatical officers from all of the region’s universities.

Becki Pollard, Managing Director of Exchange Residential, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that Exchange Residential was voted Newcastle’s best student letting agent. The student housing industry is booming in the city at present so all of the awards were very keenly contested. As a team Exchange Residential consistently work hard to deliver excellent levels of customer service for our residents and we’re delighted that this has been recognised. To win letting agency of the year was amazing and for Union Square to once again be voted the best student hall in the North East is the icing on the cake.”

Exchange Residential’s Jeremy Belton, won the hotly contested Property Manager of the Year category for his work on the management of Union Square and Adderstone Group’s new 266 bed accommodation, Stepney Yard, which opens in September in Ouseburn.

Jeremy, from Sunderland, who has been with Exchange Residential for almost a year, is responsible for managing the relationships between residents and the lettings agency, being the first point of contact for all students during their studies.

Jeremy said: “It has been a wonderful night for Exchange Residential and also for myself on a personal level. As a team we continue to work hard to deliver an excellent product for our students and to receive recognition from your peers is always appreciated.”

Nicola Hughes, Director of Marketing and Communications at Adderstone Group said: “The student housing sector in Newcastle has evolved massively in recent years, with significant improvements in standards and expectations. We have a team of staff working to deliver the best possible service for our residents and we have specifically focussed on integrating our residents into the local community through regular engagement activities and events.

“We’re already looking at ways to improve our offering at Exchange Residential and our student accommodation portfolio in the future and the challenge is firmly on to continue to offer the best possible service.”

Adderstone Group continue to embark on a number of multi-million pound development projects across the UK including the Stepney Yard student accommodation in Ouseburn which is due to open in September 2016 and a luxury residential development in Bermondsey, London.

There are still a very small number of rooms available at Union Square and Stepney Yard for the 2016-17 academic year. Students can contact Exchange Residential on 0191 269 9920 or www.exchangeresidential.com to find out more or book a viewing.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Adderstone Group .