City centre complex bought by property firm with strong student accommomdation portfolio

Property firm Greystar has acquired the 265-bed Copley Court student-apartment complex on Anglesea St in Cork.

They bought the purpose-built accommodation from Elkstone Real Estate.

The deal brings Greystar’s Irish portfolio of similar properties to 2,200 beds.

Copley Court, close to City Hall, is less than 3km from University College Cork and a host of other third-level colleges, including St John’s and Cork College of Commerce.

It is fully let during the academic year, and available in summer, too.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed and Greystar would not comment further, but industry sources put the value of the deal close to €33m.

Cork remains one of only a small number of Irish counties to have recorded growth in student bed stock over the past year and is one of the country’s largest markets by student numbers, alongside Dublin and Galway. 

Copley Court is Greystar’s fourth major investment in this sector in Ireland, following the acquisition of Point Campus, in Dublin, in 2024, and the 724-bed Project Galaxy portfolio, in Dublin and Galway, last year.

Claire Solon, managing director, Ireland, Greystar, said the latest acquisition forms part of their continued investment in Ireland. “Copley Court is a strong addition to our Irish student-accommodation platform,” she said.

“Cork continues to see rising demand for high-quality, well-managed student housing, and this acquisition reflects our confidence in the city’s long-term fundamentals.”

“We look forward to working with the local on-site team to continue delivering a high standard of accommodation and service for students in Cork, while building on the asset’s established summer-letting programme.”

Since it was relaunched in 2019, Copley Court has been at or near full occupancy. It will now operate under Canvas Student, Greystar’s pan-European student-accommodation brand, joining a portfolio that spans seven countries across Europe.