During the ‘Community. Capital. Blurred Lines. Clear Perspectives. This is the Co-Living opportunity’ episode of the Talking Property podcast by property consultancy CBRE, host Kathryn House (Pacific Communications Director at CBRE) sits down with the Co-Founder of operator UKO Rhys Williams.
Together, alongside Andrew Purdon (Regional Director, Living Sectors, Capital Markets, Pacific at CBRE), they unpack UKO’s journey from launching the country’s first co-living space in Stanmore to scaling a national portfolio that’s redefining urban living and blurring lines with different sectors.
Rhys is a Co-Founder of national operator of serviced apartments and multifamily properties Veriu Group. He has spent more than 22 years in the living sector starting with a single apartment which has grown to become a portfolio of 50 properties around Australia.
Rhys is also the CEO of the UKO platform which operates the largest number of multifamily properties in Australia. He is a Licenced Real Estate Agent and regularly leads industry panels at multifamily conferences where he is regarded as a ‘pioneer’ in the Australian accommodation industry.
The latest episode explores the origin story of UKO and the vision behind ‘living lighter, living better’, how co-living is attracting not just Gen Z renters, but also business professionals and downsizers, why investors are backing the model, with hundreds of millions in capital flowing into the sector and the operational advantages that make co-living a standout in the living sector.
