The Collier Companies’ genesis was in the early 1970s when Nathan S. Collier bought his first property, a duplex two blocks north of University of Florida’s law school. He wanted the rental income to help pay his way through college. The Collier Companies’ now almost 10,000 apartment homes grew from that one purchase.

Collier’s long-term goal was to have outside income, something to fall back on or to supplement Social Security when the time came. He drove the single-family neighborhoods within walking and biking distance of the university, searching for FSBOs (For Sale by Owner). He looked for concrete block construction, figuring it would stand the test of time in Florida’s humid climate better than wood siding. He looked for houses where rents would cover mortgage payments, property taxes, and the insurance. To keep costs down in the beginning, Collier did most of his own maintenance; the back of his car was packed with tools. He did his own showing, leasing, and management, so they were not a cash expense.

He was able to pick up three or four houses a year with little or nothing down by the good grace of owners who trusted him with owner financing. When he hit 25 houses, the logistics started to get away from him. Each house had to be shown individually, there were minimal economies of scale, and growth was beginning to be hampered. He realized that there was a limit to how far he could go if he kept doing the “same old, same old.” What got him where he was would not get him where he wanted to go. He needed to revise the business plan, though he says he did not know or understand any of those terms back then.

So Collier eased his way into multifamily, starting with quadraplexes, then twelveplexes, and then into larger properties, concentrating in a neighborhood just north of the University of Florida campus called College Park.

College Park was and is an eclectic mix of small developments and by buying a bit at a time he was able to assemble several hundred units (now north of 450) within a few square blocks and manage them as one community. Thus he was able to do what few individuals are able to do: buy the functional equivalent of a large apartment community of institutional size.

In the early 1990s, after expanding primarily through acquisition, The Collier Companies became a Gainesville developer with an award-winning luxury community just north of the University of Florida campus, which was soon followed by a creekside community downtown.

Development continued as the company completed a challenging infill redevelopment at more than 50 units per acre in College Park. Then came The Landings at Biven’s Arm, followed by Museum Walk, across from U.F.’s Harn Museum. Developing out of Gainesville for the first time, Oviedo Grove in the Orlando area was built, and then Hidden Lake in northwest Gainesville, followed by The Highlands at HeathBrook in Ocala, The Enclave at Gainesville Place, and most recently a new second phase at The Crossing at Santa Fe.

While development was occurring, acquisition continued. Over the last 10 years, The Collier Companies has grown by more than 7,000 apartments through acquisition. The Collier Companies now is a leading regional apartment owner and manager with an exceptional team of people who have handled the company’s growth with remarkable skill.