NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

29 January 2026

RECOMMENDED CASH AND SHARE ACQUISITION

of

EMPIRIC STUDENT PROPERTY PLC ("EMPIRIC")

by

THE UNITE GROUP PLC ("UNITE")

by means of a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement

under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006

Admission of New Unite Shares and Transaction in Own Shares

Admission of New Unite Shares

Unite is pleased to confirm that 56,547,696 new ordinary shares with a nominal value of 25 pence each (the "New Unite Shares") are to be admitted to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, with effect from 8.00 a.m. today, 29 January 2026.

Transaction in Own Shares

Unite further announces that, in accordance with the terms of the share buyback programme (the "Buyback Programme") announced on 9 January 2026, the Company has purchased the following number of its ordinary shares of 25 pence each (the "Ordinary Shares") through Deutsche Bank AG, London branch:

The purchased Ordinary Shares will be cancelled.

Since the announcement of the Buyback Programme on 9 January 2026, Unite has purchased 2,099,682 Ordinary Shares in aggregate for cancellation.

In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 as it applies in the UK (the Market Abuse Regulation), the table at the end of this announcement contains detailed information of the individual trades made by Deutsche Bank AG, London branch on behalf of Unite on 28 January 2026 as part of the Buyback Programme.

Unite's Issued Share Capital

Following the admission of the New Unite Shares and the settlement of the above purchases and cancellation of the purchased Ordinary Shares, Unite's total number of Ordinary Shares in issue shall be 544,491,585 Ordinary Shares, each with one voting right and admitted to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ISIN code GB0006928617. This information may be used by shareholders to determine whether they are required to notify their interest, or a change to their interest, in Unite under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

Enquiries:

Aggregated information of Ordinary Shares purchased according to each trading venue:

Individual Transactions:

Notes regarding New Unite Shares

The New Unite Shares have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act or under the relevant securities laws of any state or territory or other jurisdiction of the United States or the relevant securities laws of Japan and the relevant clearances have not been, and will not be, obtained from the securities commission of any province of Canada. No prospectus in relation to the New Unite Shares has been, or will be, lodged with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Accordingly, the New Unite Shares are not being, and may not be, offered, sold, resold, delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly in or into a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of relevant laws of, or require registration thereof in, such jurisdiction (except pursuant to an exemption, if available, from any applicable registration requirements or otherwise in compliance with all applicable laws).

The New Unite Shares have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act, or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the US Securities Act, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, such registration requirements and in compliance with any applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States. The New Unite Shares will be issued in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act provided by Section 3(a)(10) thereof. For the purpose of qualifying for the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(10) of the US Securities Act, Unite has advised the Court that its sanctioning of the Scheme will be relied on by Unite for the purposes of a Section 3(a)(10) exemption following a hearing on the fairness of the Scheme to Empiric Shareholders.