Amherst
Amherst is a vertically integrated real estate investment and development platform founded in 1993, managing $16.4B AUM across single-family rentals (~47,000 homes in 32 markets), mortgage-backed securities, and commercial real estate lending for institutional and individual customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Amherst does
Amherst is a vertically integrated real estate investment, development, and operating platform founded in 1993 and headquartered in Austin, Texas. The company operates across three core business lines: Amherst Residential (single-family rental platform managing ~47,000 homes in 32 U.S. markets), an MBS platform (structuring and managing commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities portfolios via Amherst Capital Management LLC), and a commercial real estate lending business launched in 2016. Operational subsidiaries include Main Street Renewal (in-house property management), Bungalo (direct-to-consumer home sales through brokerage), and StudioBuilt (modular home manufacturing, with a Cuero, Texas facility).
Amherst generates revenue through multiple streams: investment management and performance fees on $16.4B AUM (as of September 30, 2025), property management fees and rental income across the SFR portfolio, transaction fees from Bungalo home sales, and project revenue from StudioBuilt modular construction. The firm's go-to-market combines enterprise institutional sales to pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and family offices with B2C rental and home-purchase channels.
The platform is built on proprietary analytical models processing hundreds of data points on millions of assets, with more than $200M invested over the past decade in data and decision infrastructure. Koch Real Estate Investments is Amherst's largest institutional shareholder following a $165M follow-on equity investment in November 2025 (in addition to a $200M preferred-equity investment in 2020). The firm employs 1,000+ personnel globally across operations in the U.S., India (Mumbai Merchant Banking extension), and Costa Rica.
Amherst firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Amherst
- Legal name
- The Amherst Group LLC
- Website
- https://amherst.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Amherst is a vertically integrated real estate investment and development platform founded in 1993, managing $16.4B AUM across single-family rentals (~47,000 homes in 32 markets), mortgage-backed securities, and commercial real estate lending for institutional and individual customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Amherst industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Real Estate Investment & Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Other Activities Related to Real Estate (531390), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239), Other Financial Vehicles (52599)
- SIC
- Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Estate Investment Advisory (Acquisitions/Dispositions, Capital Allocation) (BPAJANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG), Capital Markets Advisory (Equity Placement, JV & Recapitalization) (BPAJABAL), Residential Investment Property Brokerage (SFR/Small Multifamily) (BPAJAAAE)
Keywords
Where Amherst is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Amherst business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Single-Family Rental Management: Amherst operates single-family rental portfolios through Main Street Renewal, managing approximately 47,000 homes across 32 U.S. markets. Revenue is generated through property management fees, leasing services, and portfolio performance.
- Property Sales (Bungalo): Through Bungalo, Amherst acquires, renovates, and sells homes directly to consumers via the Bungalo brokerage. Revenue is generated through transaction-based home sales.
- Investment Management Fees: Amherst manages $16.4 billion of AUM (as of September 30, 2025) for institutional investors across SFR, CRE, and MBS strategies, generating management and performance fees.
- Modular Construction (StudioBuilt): StudioBuilt constructs modular homes at purpose-built facilities for sale or integration into rental communities, providing development revenue.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Amherst product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Amherst is a vertically integrated real estate investment, development, and operating platform that acquires, finances, manages, leases, renovates, develops, and sells U.S. residential and commercial real estate assets on behalf of institutional investors. Its core offerings include single-family rental investment and operations (~47,000 homes across 32 markets), commercial real estate transitional lending, mortgage-backed securities portfolio management ($16.4B AUM), direct-to-consumer home sales via Bungalo, and modular home construction via StudioBuilt.
Product overview
Amherst is a vertically integrated real estate investment, development, and operating platform offering strategies across single-family residential, mortgage-backed securities, and commercial real estate. The platform consists of three core business lines: Amherst Residential (SFR) for rental homes, the MBS platform for securities investment management, and Amherst Capital for commercial real estate lending. Key operational sub-brands include Main Street Renewal (property management), Bungalo (home sales), and StudioBuilt (modular construction). The firm manages $16.4 billion in AUM across approximately 47,000 homes in 32 U.S. markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Main Street Renewal: Vertically-integrated property management company servicing single-family rental residents on the Amherst platform, operating in 32 markets across the U.S.
- StudioBuilt
- Bungalo
- Amherst Homes
Products and services
- Amherst Residential - Single-Family Rental Platform
- Main Street Renewal - SFR Property Management
- Bungalo - Direct-to-Consumer Home Sales Direct-to-consumer platform that acquires and renovates homes with thoughtful design elements and high-quality finishes, listing them for sale to homebuyers through the Bungalo brokerage as move-in ready homes.
- StudioBuilt - Modular Home Construction Modular homebuilding business utilizing offsite construction to create new housing supply at scale, operating a manufacturing facility in Cuero, Texas and partner studios across the Southeast to produce homes for sale or integration into rental communities.
- Amherst Capital - Commercial Real Estate Lending Commercial real estate lending business issuing transitional loans to creatively readapt existing assets, leveraging market mispricing of risk; managed by Amherst Capital Management LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.
- Amherst Mortgage-Backed Securities Platform Loan-level data-driven platform using proprietary models and real estate expertise to structure and manage bespoke commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities portfolios for institutional investors seeking alpha.
Quantifiable outcome
- 59.4K homes acquired, $10.8B value of homes acquired
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Amherst
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Amherst technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Amherst partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Amherst competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Invitation Homes: Largest publicly traded single-family rental operator in the U.S. (~84,000 homes), directly comparable to Amherst's SFR acquisition, renovation, and property management model. Both serve institutional capital and individual renters with vertically integrated platforms.
- American Homes 4 Rent: Publicly traded SFR REIT (~59,000 homes) operating a vertically integrated acquisition, renovation, leasing, and property management platform. Highly comparable to Amherst Residential and Main Street Renewal in scale, strategy, and operating model.
- Progress Residential: Private SFR operator owned by Pretium Partners, managing a portfolio of ~80,000+ single-family rental homes. Directly comparable to Amherst in serving institutional investors with a vertically integrated SFR platform spanning acquisitions through property management.
- Pretium Partners: Alternative investment manager with deep U.S. housing exposure, including ownership of Progress Residential and SFR-focused funds. Closely comparable to Amherst's combination of investment management and operational SFR capabilities.
- FirstKey Homes: Institutional SFR operator managing a portfolio of ~40,000+ single-family rental homes. Comparable to Amherst in scale and in serving institutional capital through a vertically integrated SFR operating platform.
Broad incumbents
- Blackstone Real Estate: World's largest real estate investor with significant SFR exposure via Tricon Residential (acquired) and other vehicles. Overlaps with Amherst's institutional SFR strategy at scale and competes for institutional real estate capital allocations.
- Brookfield Asset Management: Global alternative asset manager with a major real estate franchise spanning residential, commercial, and credit strategies. Comparable to Amherst's institutional capital-raising model and multi-strategy real estate approach, though at far greater scale and breadth.
- Starwood Capital Group: Private alternative investment firm focused on real estate with a broad multifamily, single-family, and commercial strategy. Comparable to Amherst in combining direct real estate investment with institutional capital management.
- KKR Real Estate: Major alternative asset manager with a sizable real estate platform across residential, commercial, and credit strategies. Comparable to Amherst in raising and deploying institutional capital into U.S. real estate strategies, though at meaningfully larger scale.
Emerging players
- Cerberus Capital Management: Private alternative investment manager with significant SFR exposure (e.g., historical ownership of Front Yard Residential). Comparable as an institutional capital partner competing for similar SFR and MBS investment opportunities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Amherst social profiles
Digital presenceAmherst compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Amherst financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Amherst leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Amherst subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Amherst funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Amherst M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Amherst
What does Amherst do?
Amherst is a vertically integrated real estate investment, development, and operating platform that acquires, finances, manages, leases, renovates, develops, and sells U.S. residential and commercial real estate assets on behalf of institutional investors. Its core offerings include single-family rental investment and operations (~47,000 homes across 32 markets), commercial real estate transitional lending, mortgage-backed securities portfolio management ($16.4B AUM), direct-to-consumer home sales via Bungalo, and modular home construction via StudioBuilt.
Is Amherst a public or private company?
Amherst is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Amherst founded?
Amherst was founded in 1993. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Amherst based?
Amherst is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Amherst make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Single-Family Rental Management is the primary driver. The others are property Sales (Bungalo), investment Management Fees and modular Construction (StudioBuilt).
Who are Amherst's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Invitation Homes, American Homes 4 Rent, Progress Residential, Pretium Partners and FirstKey Homes. Broad incumbents are Blackstone Real Estate, Brookfield Asset Management, Starwood Capital Group and KKR Real Estate. Cerberus Capital Management is listed as an emerging player.
Does Amherst have an API?
No public API is recorded for Amherst.
What industry is Amherst in?
Amherst's product category is Residential Real Estate Investment & Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJANAA, Real Estate Investment Advisory (Acquisitions/Dispositions, Capital Allocation), with a secondary code of FSAAACAG, Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6532.