How our recent HELiX Starkville partnership reveals decades of student housing experience
We’re excited to share some big news: SPM will be managing the 802-bed HELiX Starkville student housing community near Mississippi State University. But here’s what might surprise many in the industry – this isn’t our first venture into student housing.
While SPM has built a strong reputation in affordable and conventional housing across our 202 communities, we’ve been quietly assembling our experienced student housing team. Our leadership team collectively brings over 65 years of student housing experience and has overseen well over $6 billion in student housing operations across 100+ markets in 35 states.
Meet Our Student Housing Experts
- Mitchell Smith, Executive Vice President, brings 25+ years of multifamily and student housing experience to SPM, where he leads company strategy and operations across diverse portfolios. His extensive student housing background includes leadership roles overseeing billions in student housing operations and positioning companies as industry leaders.
- Anthony Alsup, Vice Present of Asset Services, contributes 17+ years of experience, having managed student housing portfolios exceeding $500 million in AUM. His track record includes successful fund deployments and portfolio recapitalizations with leading private equity firms. Anthony knows how to create value, and he knows how to scale it.
- Sam Choi, Vice President of Technology, brings 14+ years of student housing experience spanning technology, operations, and product development. His expertise includes overseeing property management systems for portfolios across major student housing operators including Asset Campus, Aspen Heights, and Core Spaces. Sam has operated in 23+ markets nationwide and has designed specialized apps to enhance move-in execution and student user experience.
- Cody Smith, Director of Operations, rounds out our team with 12+ years of hands-on experience pioneering operational transformations. He’s the guy who implements business intelligence platforms, deploys artificial intelligence for leasing optimization, and creates operational efficiencies that drive superior performance.
Why This Matters Now
The student housing sector demands specialized expertise. Seasonal leasing cycles, university market dynamics, resident lifecycle management. These aren’t challenges you solve with conventional multifamily experience alone. They require deep understanding of how students think, how universities operate, and how to create communities that truly serve this unique demographic.
Our approach combines this operational expertise with cutting-edge technology:
- Data-driven operations with proprietary intelligence platforms that inform every decision
- End-to-end capabilities from development consulting through asset management
- Technology integration that maximizes both NOI and resident experience
What’s Next for SPM
The HELiX Starkville partnership is just the beginning. We’ve proven our capabilities across diverse markets and property types. We’ve delivered results that enable successful recapitalizations and fund deployments. Now, we’re ready to bring that expertise to new partnerships.
Ready to be surprised by what SPM brings to student housing? We’re ready to show you.
Interested in learning more about SPM’s student housing capabilities or exploring third-party management opportunities? Contact us at contact@spm.net