The Champion Companies

What The Champion Companies does

The Champion Companies is a family-owned, fully-integrated multifamily real estate firm headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, operating exclusively in the Central Ohio market. Founded in 2010 by Brian Yeager (Chairman & CEO) and Michelle Yeager-Thornton (Vice Chairwoman & President), the company runs four core service lines — real estate investing, property management operations, construction & development, and strategic renovations — and currently controls a portfolio of 23 apartment communities and approximately 4,487 multifamily units, with nearly 5,000 Class A apartment homes under management when including the broader platform. Cumulative multifamily transactions have reached $4B+ with $1B in managed assets, supported by 1,109 units developed and 4,581 units renovated since inception.

The business generates revenue through three streams: recurring monthly rental income on owned properties (target rents of $1,100-$1,450 per unit at recent developments such as Sunbury Pointe), third-party property management fees for outside owners, and transaction-based returns from acquiring, renovating, and either holding or disposing of multifamily assets. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: IOTAS smart home integration in apartment units and a Text2Pay mobile rent payment system, with a direct-to-consumer leasing portal at livewithchampion.com. The company also operates the Champion Cares Foundation, a non-profit arm that has returned $5M+ and 10,500+ volunteer hours to Central Ohio.

Champion serves two distinct customer segments in parallel. On the retail side, individuals and families rent apartments across Central Ohio submarkets including Westerville, Dublin, Powell, Gahanna, Hilliard, Lewis Center, Delaware, Sunbury, New Albany, and Grove City. On the institutional side, the firm partners with private equity (TPG), commercial mortgage bankers (BWE, Newmark), government-sponsored enterprises (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac), life insurers (Pacific Life, Reinsurance Group of America), and regional banks for deal sourcing, financing, and joint-venture equity. A small third-party property management vertical serves other Central Ohio apartment owners. The company remains privately held under family ownership with no parent company, although it has used JV capital on specific acquisitions.

Name

The Champion Companies

Legal name

Champion Real Estate Services, Inc.

Website

https://thechampioncompanies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Champion Companies is a family-owned, fully-integrated multifamily real estate firm based in Westerville, Ohio, that invests in, develops, renovates, and manages approximately 4,487 Class A and value-add apartment units across 23 Central Ohio communities for individual renters and institutional capital partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Apartment Rental Income: Revenue generated from owned multifamily properties through monthly rental payments from tenants across 22+ communities in Central Ohio.
2. Property Management Fees: Fees charged for third-party property management services provided to other apartment community owners.
3. Real Estate Investment Returns: Returns generated through acquisition, renovation, and sale of multifamily properties. The company buys underperforming properties, renovates them, and either holds for ongoing rental income or sells for capital gains.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Champion Companies is a fully-integrated multifamily real estate firm that acquires, develops, renovates, and manages Class A apartment communities across Central Ohio. It directly leases and manages approximately 5,000 apartment homes across 23 communities, provides third-party property management services to other apartment owners, and partners with institutional capital on multifamily acquisitions, joint ventures, and dispositions. Revenue is generated primarily through monthly rental income, property management fees, and real estate investment returns from acquisitions and value-add renovations.

Product overview

The Champion Companies is a family-owned multifamily real estate investment, development, and management firm operating in Central Ohio. The company offers an integrated suite of services including real estate investing, property management operations, construction & development, and strategic renovations. Their portfolio consists of 23 apartment communities (branded under names like Attleigh, Avery Pointe, District at Berkshire, River Park of Dublin, The Retreat at Crosswoods, and others) totaling approximately 4,487 multifamily units. The company also operates the Champion Cares Foundation as its philanthropic initiative. The business model combines acquiring, developing, managing, and renovating Class A multifamily properties across Central Ohio communities including Columbus, Dublin, Westerville, Powell, Gahanna, Hilliard, and other surrounding areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Live With Champion: Residential leasing portal for apartment communities operated by The Champion Companies
• Champion Cares Foundation

Products and services

• Real Estate Investing Investment services covering multifamily real estate acquisition, disposition, joint ventures, and portfolio management for institutional capital partners and accredited investors in the Central Ohio market.
• Property Management Operations Full-service property management for apartment communities including leasing, tenant relations, maintenance, and community operations across 23 owned communities and third-party managed properties.
• Construction & Development Ground-up development of Class A multifamily communities including site selection, design, construction management, and partnership with homebuilders such as Rockford Homes.
• Strategic Renovations Value-add renovation programs for existing multifamily properties including capital improvements, interior upgrades, and rebranding, with 4,581 units renovated to date.
• River Park of Dublin 203-unit luxury Class A apartment community in Dublin, Ohio offering 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments with luxury interior finishes, located near Bridge Park and desirable Dublin Schools.
• District at Berkshire 300-unit Class A apartment community in Sunbury, Ohio offering 1 & 2 bedroom apartments with EV charging stations, near Tanger Outlet Mall and in the Big Walnut School District.
• The Retreat at Crosswoods

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ATA Talon Title AgencyminorOthersA full service title agency providing comprehensive services to companies and individuals involved in real estate transactions.
• GBQminorOthersGBQ is an independent accounting and consulting firm that pairs big-firm expertise with a personal, people-first approach helping businesses grow with confidence.
• NewmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewmark Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMRK) is a global commercial real estate leader providing full-service solutions across brokerage, capital markets, management, and advisory. Testimonial from George Skaff of Newmark praising Champion's buy and sell side capabilities.
• Pioneer Energy ManagementminorOthersManaging electric and water services is complex - Pioneer Energy Management handles it for Champion, providing customized programs and top-tier support.
• Rockford HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRockford Homes builds quality, customizable homes across Ohio, offering great value in top locations. Partnered with Champion on Dublin development (River Park of Dublin) and Sunbury project (District at Berkshire).

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Greystar Real Estate Partners: Largest global multifamily property manager and operator with significant investment and development arms. Comparable as a fully-integrated multifamily platform combining property management, investment, and development across geographies, though at vastly larger scale and national/international footprint versus Champion's Central Ohio focus.
• Camden Property Trust: Public multifamily REIT owning and operating ~172,000 apartment homes across the Sun Belt. Comparable as a multifamily owner-operator with in-house development and property management, though serving different geographies than Champion's Central Ohio focus.
• AvalonBay Communities: Public multifamily REIT owning ~90,000 apartment homes with in-house development, acquisitions, and property management. Comparable as a fully-integrated multifamily operator with construction capability, though operating at materially larger national scale.

Direct peers

• Lincoln Property Company: Vertically integrated multifamily owner, operator, and developer with a third-party management platform. Highly comparable business model to Champion — combining investment, development, property management, and renovations — though operating at significantly larger national scale.
• Bell Partners: Private multifamily investment, development, and management firm operating a portfolio of ~80,000 units across the U.S. Closely comparable integrated operating model with a value-add investment strategy, large third-party management business, and institutional capital relationships.
• Fogelman Management Group: Private multifamily property management and investment firm managing ~80,000+ units across the Southeast and Texas. Notably, Champion's EVP of Rental Operations previously worked at Fogelman, indicating direct talent flow and a comparable multifamily operating model.
• Cortland: Private multifamily owner, developer, and manager operating ~80,000+ units across the U.S. and U.K. Comparable integrated multifamily platform combining investment, development, and vertically integrated property management services for residents and institutional partners.
• RPM Living: National multifamily property management, investment, and development firm. Directly comparable as a private multifamily operator with third-party management, value-add investment, and ground-up development capabilities, though operating at larger scale.

Regional players

• M/I Homes: Public homebuilder headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with significant Central Ohio for-sale residential operations. Adjacent comparable as an Ohio-based residential real estate company operating in Champion's geography, though focused on for-sale single-family rather than multifamily rentals.

Emerging players

• Cardinal Group Companies: Private multifamily investment, development, and management firm with operations across the U.S. Comparable as a private integrated multifamily platform, though at smaller scale and focused primarily on student housing alongside conventional multifamily.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/championpm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/champion-real-estate-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/livewithchampion
• Xx.com/championpm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Champion Companies