Harrison Street Review: Real Estate & Infrastructure Focus, Portfolio & Deal Criteria
Complete guide to Harrison Street: their real estate and infrastructure investment thesis, portfolio companies, typical deal sizes, and how to position your company for investment.
Key Takeaways
- •Based in Chicago, Illinois
- •Founded in 2005 by Christopher Merrill
- •$108 billion in assets under management
- •Focus on Student Housing, Senior Housing, Healthcare Delivery, Life Sciences
- •Largest private owner of student housing in the US
- •Top 5 owner of senior housing
About Harrison Street
Harrison Street Asset Management is a leading global alternative investment management firm with over $108 billion in assets under management. Founded in 2005, the firm specializes in real assets across student housing, senior housing, healthcare delivery, life sciences, storage, and data center sectors. Harrison Street has invested over $24 billion across 431+ student housing properties and is currently the largest private owner of student housing in the US.
What Harrison Street Looks For
- Demographic tailwinds — Companies benefiting from strong demographic trends like college enrollment growth
- Defensible position — Real estate in prime locations with barriers to entry near major universities
- Stable cash flows — Long-term leases providing predictable revenue
- Growth potential — Clear pathways to value creation through development or redevelopment
- Experienced management — Management teams with real estate industry expertise
Pro Tip
How to Connect With Harrison Street
- Demonstrate Property Quality — Showcase your real estate assets, location quality near major universities, and tenant relationships
- Prepare Financial Infrastructure — Ensure clean financials with strong occupancy rates, lease terms, and NOI metrics
- Articulate Value Creation Strategy — Develop a clear plan for development, redevelopment, or operational improvements
- Build Industry Connections — Leverage real estate industry networks to get introductions
How Eagle Rock Helps
We help real estate companies prepare for PE investment by building financial infrastructure and property management frameworks. Our fractional CFO services ensure you're ready for due diligence.
Pro Tip
Frequently Asked Questions
What industries does Harrison Street focus on?
Harrison Street primarily invests in Real Estate and Infrastructure, specifically student housing, senior housing, healthcare delivery, life sciences, and storage sectors.
What size companies does Harrison Street acquire?
Harrison Street typically invests through fund vehicles, targeting companies and assets with enterprise values in the middle to upper market range.
What is Harrison Street's typical investment size?
Harrison Street manages over $108 billion in AUM across multiple funds, positioning them as one of the largest real assets investors globally.
How long does Harrison Street's due diligence process take?
Due diligence timelines vary by deal complexity, but Harrison Street typically conducts thorough financial, operational, and market due diligence over several weeks to months.
What should I prepare before engaging with Harrison Street?
Prepare three years of audited financials, detailed market analysis, property-level performance metrics, management team bios, and a clear vision for how the partnership would create value.
How does Harrison Street work with portfolio companies?
Harrison Street takes a partnership approach, working closely with management teams on strategic initiatives, acquisitions, and operational improvements in real assets.
Ready to Connect With Harrison Street?
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Learn MoreThis article is part of our Private equity firms | Eagle Rock CFO guide.
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