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Navana Property Group has teamed up with Harrogate’s Homes for Students, the UK’s second largest independent student accommodation provider, to launch a dedicated, national build-to-rent (BTR) operations and consultancy company called VervLife.

VervLife will provide BTR developers and investors with technical support over the entire life cycle of projects – from property acquisition to branding and design advice to operational management and leasing. The focus will be on meeting the needs of a new generation of renters as more people choose an active lifestyle to rent in the UK.

By combining Navana’s strong focus on customer experience and proptech with Homes for Students’ extensive experience in managing apartment buildings, VervLife will enrich skills to improve the living experience for renters across the country. It will aid tenant retention and take the hassle out of owners and investors by providing integrated letting, resident engagement and operations management.

Resident wellbeing and sustainable management will be at the heart of the business, reflecting trends in the way people live and the real estate industry’s drive to create greater social value through projects and meet investor expectations in the ESG space.

Based on Homes for Students’ established operational infrastructure, VervLife will leverage this capacity and expertise to scale rapidly over the next five years. It will support new and existing customers who wish to branch out or further expand BTR, and works in urban and suburban developments, apartment buildings and single-family homes. It will initially focus on the UK and Ireland.

The new company will be led by Katherine Rose, who has moved from serving as Director of BTR and PRS at Navana Property Group to Managing Director. Brent Stojanovic, one of Navana’s original co-founders, has also joined as director. The team is supported by Martin Corbett, chief executive officer of Homes for Students, and Kelly Bream, chief operating officer and co-founder of Navana, who are also directors.

Martin Corbett

Martin Corbett, Homes for Students Chief Executive Officer, said, “We have watched what the Navana team has been up to and we liked their fresh approach and drive. You are a perfect fit for our team and we are confident that together we can achieve our growth ambitions in the areas of BTR and PRS. Leveraging the Homes for Students experience and nationwide presence, VervLife can scale quickly. By leveraging this existing supply chain, the company will unlock development value for customers across the UK. “

Kelly Bream

Kelly Bream, Navana Chief Operating Officer, said, “The BTR and PRS sectors offer tremendous opportunities as the fabric of the UK residential real estate market evolves. More and more people of all ages are choosing to rent their homes instead of owning them, and investors and property developers are responding by offering more diverse and innovative rental properties. VervLife’s laser-like focus on BTR and PRS means we can really unlock that potential for our customers.

“By combining Navana’s technology-driven approach and tenant focus with Homes for Students’ knowledge of how to operate apartment buildings, VervLife is ideally positioned to energize BTR.”