Dallas – Riverstone Residential is no stranger to the ranks of the nation’s largest multifamily management firms. With 174,838 units around the country, the last year and a half has been a period of steady growth for the privately-held company. As the largest 100 percent third-party apartment manager in the U.S., Riverstone’s recent growth is based on the development and expansion decisions of its clients. CEO Walt Smith took the time to tell us about what’s trending from the company’s point of view. MHN: It’s been a strong couple of years for the multifamily industry. How has Riverstone expanded as America experiences a renting renaissance? Smith: We’re focused on maximizing as many opportunities as possible, including working on strategies to appeal to members of Gen Y as they form new households, and finding ways to attract Boomer residents as they begin to downsize and realize the benefits of the flexible renter lifestyle. We’ve also dedicated more resources to analyzing local market data for the benefit of our clients. Retaining our current residents is incredibly important, and we’ve been identifying ways to expand our services so that we build value, convenience, and technological innovations to create memorable resident experiences. Finally, we’ve focused on implementing technological platforms to improve our company-wide efficiency and effectiveness as service providers. MHN: What have been the most notable aspects of Riverstone growth over the past 18 months? Smith: Although we’ve enjoyed substantial increases in our management contracts across diverse property types and markets nationwide, we’ve definitely observed some specific growth trends in the assets entrusted to our care over the past 18 months. We’ve seen a 60% increase in our management of high-rise assets as well as a 25% increase in lofts. We’ve experienced substantial growth in our Northeast region,...