Who Owns Birchway?

Birchway was developed by Greystar Real Estate Partners as part of the company's strategy to create a differentiated portfolio of multifamily brands serving different market segments and resident preferences. Greystar, founded in 1993 by Bob Faith in Charleston, South Carolina, grew from a single-market property management company into one of the world's largest rental housing companies over three decades.

Greystar's growth was driven by its integrated business model, which combines investment management, development, and property management under one platform. This integration allows Greystar to acquire, develop, and manage rental housing properties more efficiently than companies that focus on only one aspect of the real estate value chain. By the mid-2010s, Greystar had grown to manage hundreds of thousands of apartment units across the United States and had begun expanding internationally.

As Greystar's portfolio grew, the company developed a family of residential brands to differentiate its properties by market segment, price point, and resident lifestyle. The Birchway brand was created to serve the suburban garden-style segment of the conventional multifamily market, targeting residents who seek comfortable, practical communities in suburban settings.

Garden-style apartment communities are a traditional format in the US multifamily market, characterized by low-rise buildings (typically two to four stories) set in landscaped grounds, with surface parking and outdoor amenities. This format is well-suited to suburban locations where land costs are lower than in urban areas, allowing for more spacious layouts, larger apartment floor plans, and outdoor amenities including swimming pools, barbecue areas, and green spaces.

Birchway communities are designed to provide residents with comfortable, practical living in suburban garden-style settings. The brand emphasizes practicality, tranquility, and convenience while maintaining quality construction and thoughtful design. Birchway communities typically feature amenities including fitness centers, swimming pools, community spaces, and family-friendly programming designed to support suburban lifestyles.

The Birchway brand has been applied to both newly developed properties and to existing properties acquired by Greystar and rebranded under the Birchway name. In October 2024, Greystar broke ground on Birchway Angle Lake in Seattle, Washington, in partnership with GMC Projects, demonstrating the brand's continued expansion through new development in major suburban markets.

Greystar's multifamily brand portfolio positions Birchway as the suburban garden-style brand within the conventional multifamily segment, alongside Bellamy (high-end urban mid-rise), Marlowe (upscale suburban with urban features), and Avana (quality-focused at accessible price points). This brand architecture allows Greystar to serve a wide range of resident preferences and market segments with differentiated products.

The suburban multifamily market has grown significantly in recent years, driven by demographic trends including remote work adoption, which has reduced the need for urban proximity for many workers, and the preference of families and older millennials for more spacious suburban living environments. These trends have supported demand for suburban garden-style apartment communities like those offered under the Birchway brand.

Greystar's scale as one of the world's largest rental housing companies provides Birchway communities with access to professional property management, maintenance services, and resident amenities that smaller operators may not be able to provide. Greystar's centralized procurement and operational systems allow it to manage large portfolios of properties efficiently, supporting consistent service quality across Birchway communities.