PAOLI, PA - TSB Realty, LLC successfully completed the sale of Columbia Lofts, a 170-unit, 330-bed student housing community located adjacent to the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, South Carolina.Nimes Real Estate purchased the property from an undisclosed seller.
In addition to TSB Realty brokering the sale, TSB Capital Advisors secured the acquisition financing for the buyer.
“Columbia Lofts is a pedestrian Power Four property that already performs well, making it an extremely attractive addition to any portfolio,” said Randall Calvert with TSB Realty. “But what really sets it apart is the value-add potential, where some targeted renovations could further enhance its historic appeal and further drive rent growth.”
Originally built in 1895 and home to the Richland Cotton Mill, Columbia Lofts was converted into apartments in 1984 and renovated in 2012. The property offers a mix of one- through four-bedroom units highlighted by spacious floor plans, lofted ceilings and oversized windows. The community amenities include a resort-style swimming pool, barbeque and picnic area, study room, resident lounge and covered bike storage.
The property is currently 100% occupied.
“The Lofts at USC is exactly the type of opportunity that defines our platform—a strategically located, architecturally unique asset with significant value-add potential,” said Michael Orsak, Managing Director at Nimes Real Estate. “Entering our third new market in just six months highlights the momentum across our platform and our conviction in the student housing sector. Focusing on fundamentals, we expect our 2026 growth to meaningfully outpace a very active 2025.”
Nimes Real Estate is a family office-backed sponsor of direct real estate investments that utilizes a data-driven investment approach to deliver opportunistic returns while minimizing risk. The firm has acquired over 8,200 student housing beds and 4,900 multifamily units across the country for a total of more than $1 billion of acquisitions.
TSB Realty is a full-service, national investment sales firm specializing in the valuation and disposition of student housing communities and conventional multifamily communities. Since inception in 2014, the Paoli, Pennsylvania-based firm has closed over $10 billion in student housing sales for a diverse client base, encompassing more than 100,000 beds from tier 1 markets to tertiary markets.
TSB Capital Advisors is the national leader in student housing and multifamily real estate advisory services, with offices in Phoenix, Arizona (headquarters), Dallas, Texas, and Paoli. Since its creation in 2009, TSB Capital Advisors has helped close over 500 deals and more than $70 billion in student housing and multifamily transactions.