About Housing Opinion

Housing Opinion was founded by Andrew Robert Watson. Andrew is a research and property consultant with a keen interest in housing policy, housing economics, investment behaviours and real estate lifecycle. He has worked in real estate, facilities management and housing for 25 years.

Andrew obtained his MBA at the University of Northampton and his MSc at the University of Glasgow. His PhD research, also undertaken at the University of Glasgow, sought to identify the investment behaviours of landlords and their impact upon the Scottish Private Rented Sector (SPRS). 

Recent project work includes an investigation into the challenges faced by rural landlords funded by Argyll and Bute Council, a UKRI funded project seeking private landlord perspectives on the ‘pandemic arrears crisis’, and a project focused on understanding the challenges associated with the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate setting process funded by the Chartered Institute of Housing.

 Andrew is also a Research Associate for the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) and the Urban Big Data Centre (UBDC). He holds membership of the Society of Property Researchers and the Housing Studies Association, and is the Deputy Chair of the SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust.

Housing opinion operate an associate model that lets us draw on the right people at the right time for each project. Our associates are passionate about housing research and committed to making a difference. With expertise in a wide range of fields, we are able to tackle complex research questions and develop innovative solutions to the UK's most pressing housing problems.

Collaboration is key to our success, and we are proud to work with a diverse range of partners in practice and academia. Our collaborations allow us to leverage expertise and resources to produce unique and powerful insights.