Colin Summers
Partner, Capital Markets
Colin has the right expertise to help you enhance your student accommodation or Build-To-Rent property.

Colin has the right expertise to help you enhance your student accommodation or Build-To-Rent property.

Offering his clients insightful investment and funding advice, Colin is driven by his client’s success. He works with institutional investors, property companies and private equity funds, with particular expertise in student accommodation and PRS/BTR, co-ordinating a specialist team within Bidwells.
Including Clarendon Shopping Centre in Oxford and Mount Pleasant Halls in Cambridge, Colin’s team has advised on over £1bn of projects, ranging from contemporary and innovative new build schemes to Grade I listed buildings.
Among his impressive portfolio of work sits Grosvenor House, a £68.8m student accommodation block let to London School of Economics (LSE) on Covent Garden’s Drury Lane. The Team are currently assisting Aberdeen Standard with its asset management business plan, enhancing the accommodation and drastically increasing the fund’s net income.
Colin’s multi-disciplinary student accommodation work was recognised nationally at the Student Accommodation Awards, where his team were named ‘Highly Commended’ for Agent of the Year.
We were impressed with Bidwells' unique knowledge of the sector, Colin Summers’ delightful to work with and we trust him unconditionally.

Bidwells Help Moorfield Ink First ESG-Linked PBSA Development Agreement
Bidwells has advised Moorfield Group on its first ESG-linked development agreement - a 282-room PBSA development in Colchester.

Student accommodation double for Capital Markets Team
Bidwells has advised on the sale of two student accommodation schemes in prime locations in a portfolio deal worth almost £40m.

Bidwells advise Aberdeen Standard on £68.8m prime Central London student block purchase
Bidwells has advised Standard Life Pooled Property Pension Fund in acquiring Grosvenor House - a student accommodation block on Covent Garden’s Drury Lane - from GH Partnership Limited for £68.8 million.

What is the Private Rented Sector?
The Private Rented Sector (PRS) is a classification of housing in the UK. The basic Private Rented Sector definition is: property owned by a landlord and leased to a tenant. The landlord, in this case, could be an individual, a property company or an institutional investor. The tenants would either deal directly with an individual landlord, or alternatively with a management company or estate agency caring for the property on behalf of the landlord.

What are PRS Properties?
PRS property, or Private Rented Sector property, is a classification of housing in the UK. PRS properties are owned by landlords, who can either be individuals or companies, and leased out to tenants. Other UK housing tenure classifications are: housing association, council housing, and the owner-occupancy (home ownership).

What is Build to Rent?
Build to Rent is a term used to describe private rented residential property, which is designed for rent instead of for sale. As the name suggests, Build to Rent (B2R) involves the building of homes specifically for the rental market. These developments are typically owned by companies (such as property companies or pension or insurance investment companies), and let directly or through an agent. B2R is an emerging, fast-growing market in the United Kingdom.

Bidwells To Market First BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ Student Residential Building in Scotland
We are marketing a ground-breaking building – the first student residential accommodation in Scotland to be awarded the BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ accolade.

Joint venture development funding of 282 PBSA beds

Investment sale of a block of nine HMO houses

Sale of a 5.31 acre site in Chichester with planning consent for circa 521 student beds

Acquisition of a freehold international school campus and student accommodation

Investment sale of a prime direct let student accommodation asset

Investment purchase of 169-bed student accommodation with basement nursery

L&G Pensions Ltd forward funded the development of Mount Pleasant Halls in Cambridge
