Q: WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMMERCIAL TEAM OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS? A: Our team successfully launched a new resident app and website, showcasing life as a Unite Students resident. This boosted student engagement and strengthened our digital presence for future growth. Our partnership with Parklife Festival raised brand awareness, while our award-winning resident retention campaign kicked off the annual sales cycle. Q: HOW PLEASED ARE YOU WITH UNITE STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE AND WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAJOR EXTERNAL FACTORS? A: I am thrilled with our ongoing commercial success. For the third consecutive year, the team has delivered market-leading results, driven by both strong occupancy and rental growth. Our strategic locations and strong university partnerships play a key role in driving demand. We’ve focused on attracting second- and third-year UK students while remaining mindful of cost-of-living challenges. To address this, we offer a range of pricing options and products tailored to meet the needs of our residents. Q: HOW IS THIS YEAR’S PERFORMANCE SETTING THE COMPANY UP FOR THE FUTURE? A: The performance over the past two years, along with this year’s achievements, have been crucial in positioning the Company for future success. Our focus has been on establishing the right foundations, platforms, and processes to meet our objectives. We’ve delivered strong, sustainable rental income, backed by a growing sector and partnerships with leading universities. Our ongoing investment in the operating platform will further enable us to ensure we remain customer focused. Q: CAN YOU DETAIL SOME OF THE KEY COMMERCIAL INITIATIVES FROM 2024? A: We are advancing the next phases of our technology investment, which includes further app and website releases, enhancing our digital marketing, customer relationship management capabilities, and optimising inventory and pricing flows through our platforms. Our approach to pricing and performance measurement is grounded in comprehensive data, consumer behaviour, competitor analysis, and market supply and demand. We continue to build brand awareness, ensuring our product range is effectively promoted to future customers across the channels they engage with most frequently. Great Place to Invest Q&A with Shauna Campbell, Group Commercial Director “ For the third consecutive year, the team has delivered market-leading results, driven by both strong occupancy and rental growth.” THE UNITE GROUP PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2024 21