If you’re a commercial real estate investor, you may be overlooking one of the most promising prospects in your community. Investors tend to focus on shopping centers and multi-family housing, turning a blind eye to the advantages of investing in educational institutions. Before you turn to that new shopping center, consider the power your investment dollar has as a resource for your area educational system.
Improve Local Economies
One of the most apparent benefits of investing in a community college or other educational institution is that it will create jobs. The college or university will have to maintain a staff, and the majority of the people hired will be from within that community. As the institution looks to drive up attendance, it will also partner with local businesses. By employing local professionals and working with community business leaders, the institution will draw more commerce to the community.
Smart Buildings Will Be Better Utilized
Perhaps you have a desire to use the IoT to create smart buildings that will help your tenants stay connected. In a shopping center or housing unit, prospective tenants may not be eager to pay the higher rent these state of the art buildings would demand, but, conversely, these are just the amenities an educational institution would seek out. In fact, by providing a building already equipped with this infrastructure, you’ll be saving the college or university the trouble of having to have them installed separately.
Colleges Will Become a Hub of Growth
In addition to creating buildings better suited to learning, investing in educational institutions can help those facilities develop better programs. They can work together with area businesses to provide more promising opportunities, while also providing resources to help students launch their own start-ups. At the center of this growth, the college and its investors will experience its own growth. This creates a positive cycle of contribution and growth that will benefit everyone involved in the community.
Investing in education as a commercial real estate investor provides more than just a financial return for yourself. It also provides you with a real opportunity to improve your community and help create a better economy. In addition to supporting local businesses and hiring from within the community, the college or university your investment supports will also turn out more professionals. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle of economic growth that begins with your investment.