Our History
Over 50 years of building communities, developing leaders, and shaping the Southeast.
The Future and Beyond
With over 13,000 homes in the portfolio and an active development pipeline, The Collier Companies launches its most ambitious initiative yet: 10K in 10 — a commitment to adding 10,000 new apartment homes over the next decade. The best is still ahead.
Building the Foundation for the Future
Coming out of the Great Recession of 2008, The Collier Companies overcame twin challenges. The Collier Companies had re-capitalized by selling off 80% of two of our largest, premier communities and also, most of our other partners had reached the end of their hold periods and wished to sell the communities they co-owned with us. Fortunately, TCC was able to raise the capital to buy back more than half the selling communities, reducing our Core/Partner ratio from an all-time high of 70/30 to 92/8 by 2021.
Growth Through Acquisition and Development
While Nathan personally owns the vast majority of The Collier Companies portfolio, during this decade The Collier Companies formed their first institutionalized partnerships with companies such as JP Morgan Chase, The State of Utah Retirement System, Sterling American (investment arm of the then owners of the Mets), and GMAC as well as SEB, a Scandinavian pension fund. In addition, The Collier Companies also built Highlands at Heathbrook, 320 apartment homes in Ocala in the summer of 2004 as well as Phase IV of Arlington Square followed by The Enclave in 2008, 412 apartment homes in Gainesville. Phase II of The Crossing at Santa Fe came next, an additional 168 3/3 apartment homes adding to the existing 168 4/4s.
Graduating to the Major Leagues
It is hard to overstate the importance to the future of The Collier Companies of the slow, patient, decade long assemblage of College Park. Most apartment communities of institutional size (300+) trade north of $50M and private individuals without inherited wealth do not generally get to buy at that level. College Park became the foundation for an era of rapid growth, still bootstrapping with “innovative financing”. A primary example was acquisition of The Shey Portfolio in 1998, 1400+ apartment homes: $100 Million Valuation with just $1 Million down i.e. 99% leverage.
The College Park Era
In 1980, College Park was a neglected, blighted neighborhood with dilapidated housing. Nathan began to “farm” the area, going down to the Property Appraiser’s office, looking up owners on microfiche (this was long before the internet), creating a community newsletter that informed other owners about City or neighborhood issues that impacted their properties and calling regularly, soliciting support. As a result, when folks decided to sell, Nathan was a natural buyer and over a decade, mainly utilizing low/no down owner financing, was able to put together an apartment community of institutional size, howbeit scattered over a neighborhood.
A Vision Takes Root
In December of 1972 Nathan made his first investment when he was just twenty years old: a single-family house several blocks north of the University of Florida’s Law School. He substantially offset his college expenses by living upstairs and renting out the downstairs and personally doing most of the maintenance. For the next seven to eight years, Nathan continued to buy houses within walking distance of the University of Florida at the rate of three or four a year, using every “no money” down technique in the book. Nathan’s father, a civil engineer, had raised him to be hands on with a DIY (Do It Yourself) approach. As a result, Nathan was a pretty fair jack of all trades handyman and was able to do most of the maintenance on his houses.
Celebrating 50+ Years
Fifty Years of Building Communities
Five decades on, the milestones that matter most are the ones that happened between the headlines: the communities opened, the teams built, and the residents who made a Collier community home.
Built on a Foundation of Purpose
The Collier Companies was born in 1972 from Nathan S. Collier's conviction that the multifamily business, done right, could be a force for good. From a single community in Gainesville to a portfolio spanning the Southeast, every decade of our history has been defined by the same principle: invest in people, build quality, and the rest will follow.
The Best Is Still Ahead
With 10K in 10 underway — our most ambitious development push yet — The Collier Companies is writing its next chapter. More communities, more markets, and more opportunity for the team members and residents who make this company what it is. Fifty years in, the mission is the same. The scale is just a little bigger.