First Form
First Form is a privately held boutique real estate development and investment firm that sponsors mixed-use multifamily and retail projects — often via joint ventures with local developers — across dynamic U.S. neighborhoods, serving accredited investors and co-developer partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What First Form does
First Form is a privately held, boutique real estate development and investment firm headquartered in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., that sponsors opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail projects, often in joint venture with local developers in select neighborhoods. The firm operates from a base of 1–10 employees led by Founder & CEO Anthony Greenberg (formerly EVP at JBG SMITH for 15 years) and Principal Henry Ross (formerly Senior Director at Tishman Speyer, joined 2023), and currently has an active or evolving project footprint in Pittsburgh's Strip District, Durham's Central Park, Raleigh's Warehouse District, Richmond's Scott's Addition, and Detroit's Corktown. Most projects are pre-development or under construction and combine ground-floor retail with residential units of varying scales (from ~45 to ~225 units).
The firm's revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed but are typical of a small sponsor: developer fees, equity co-investment, and back-end promote economics on disposition, supplemented by capital provision to and strategic advisory for other innovative developers (e.g., the Inkwell Partners co-investment on 1451 Bagley). Capital is raised from accredited investors through a dedicated Investor Portal hosted on the Agora Real platform and through direct relationship-based outreach. The firm markets itself on four explicit expertise pillars — Design Differentiation, Placemaking, Transit-Oriented Development, and Sustainable Development — and on the institutional pedigrees of its leadership team (ULI 40 Under 40, National Building Museum Trustee, Fallingwater Advisory Committee). No AI/ML, proprietary technology platform, or recurring software product is part of the offering; technology is limited to the third-party investor portal and standard real-estate development tooling.
First Form firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First Form
- Legal name
- First Form
- Website
- https://firstform.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- First Form is a privately held boutique real estate development and investment firm that sponsors mixed-use multifamily and retail projects — often via joint ventures with local developers — across dynamic U.S. neighborhoods, serving accredited investors and co-developer partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where First Form is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
First Form business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Real Estate Development and Investment: First Form generates returns through development and investment in opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail projects. They sponsor projects and invest in select projects by other developers, offering capital and strategic advisory.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
First Form product offering
Product offeringCore offering
First Form sponsors opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail development projects in dynamic U.S. neighborhoods, often alongside local joint venture partners. The firm also invests in select projects sponsored by other innovative developers, providing capital and strategic advisory services, and operates a private Investor Portal hosted on the Agora Real platform for investor reporting and access.
Product overview
First Form is a boutique private real estate development and investment platform that sponsors opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail projects. The company's core offering consists of a portfolio of development projects across dynamic U.S. neighborhoods including Pittsburgh's Strip District, Durham's Central Park neighborhood, Raleigh's Warehouse District, Scott's Addition in Richmond, and Corktown in Detroit. Their development projects range from pre-development to under construction to delivered status, typically featuring residential units combined with ground-floor retail space. In addition to direct development, First Form also invests in select projects sponsored by other developers. The company offers an Investor Portal hosted on the Agora Real platform for investor access. Their expertise areas include Design Differentiation, Placemaking, Transit-Oriented Development, and Sustainable Development. Leadership includes Founder & CEO Anthony (Tony) Greenberg and Principal Henry Ross.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Plantscape Pre-development mixed-use project featuring 225 residential units and 2,500 SF of retail space located at 3101 Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, PA, sponsored by First Form as part of its opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail portfolio.
- 325 32nd Street Mixed-use development with 49 residential units located at 3205 Penn Ave in Pittsburgh's Strip District, sponsored by First Form as part of its opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail portfolio.
- Rigsbee Collection: No. 318 Delivered mixed-use project featuring 82 residential units and 2,000 SF of retail space in Durham's Central Park Neighborhood at 318 W. Corporation Street, sponsored by First Form as part of its opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail portfolio.
- Rigsbee Collection: No. 815 Mixed-use project with 51 residential units and 2,000 SF of retail space in Durham's Central Park Neighborhood at 815 Madison Street, sponsored by First Form as part of its opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail portfolio.
- Rigsbee Collection: No. 311 Mixed-use project under construction featuring 45 residential units and 600 SF of retail space in Durham's Central Park Neighborhood at 311 W. Corporation Street, sponsored by First Form as part of its opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail portfolio.
- West Block Mixed-use project featuring 215 residential units and 12,000 SF of retail space in Raleigh's Warehouse District at 401 W. Cabarrus Street, sponsored by First Form as part of its opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail portfolio.
- Mulberry Lofts Mixed-use development project in the First Form portfolio.
- Oakwood & Trinity Park Towns Townhome development project in the First Form portfolio.
- 529 King Mixed-use development project at Capital Square in the First Form portfolio.
- VIV at Scott's Collection Mixed-use development project at Scott's Collection in Richmond in the First Form portfolio.
Companies that use First Form
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
First Form technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
First Form partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Local Joint Venture PartnerscoreFirst Form often partners with local developers in key neighborhoods to sponsor opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail projects. These partnerships combine local market knowledge with institutional development expertise.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
First Form competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The NRP Group: Boutique-to-mid-market multifamily and mixed-use developer focused on urban and suburban infill; highly comparable to First Form in product type, deal size, and value-add neighborhood strategy.
- Mill Creek Residential: National multifamily and mixed-use developer with a focus on walkable, mixed-use communities in high-growth markets; comparable in deal profile and demographic targeting.
- RangeWater Real Estate: Boutique multifamily developer focused on Sun Belt and Southeast U.S. walkable submarkets; comparable to First Form in geography (Durham, Raleigh, Southeast), product mix, and design-led placemaking.
- Crescent Communities: Mixed-use and multifamily developer with Sun Belt and Southeast concentration; comparable geographic footprint (Durham, Raleigh, Charlotte) and product mix to First Form's portfolio.
- Streetlights Residential: Boutique urban infill multifamily and mixed-use developer in walkable, transit-oriented submarkets; closely comparable to First Form in product type, scale, and design-driven positioning.
- Wood Partners: National multifamily developer active in mixed-use and walkable urban infill submarkets; comparable in scale, product mix, and design-driven differentiation approach.
Broad incumbents
- JBG SMITH: Public REIT (NYSE: JBGS) focused on mixed-use, multifamily, and office in the Washington, D.C. metro; directly comparable as the institutional platform where Founder Anthony Greenberg served as EVP for 15 years and where First Form's investment thesis originates.
- Tishman Speyer: Global real estate owner, developer, and operator with deep multifamily and mixed-use expertise; directly comparable as the institutional platform where Principal Henry Ross executed $1B+ of development, mirroring First Form's full-lifecycle mixed-use approach.
- Skanska USA Commercial Development: Large-scale mixed-use and multifamily developer with a sustainability- and transit-oriented development focus; comparable in mixed-use urban infill thesis and design-driven differentiation philosophy.
- Greystar Real Estate Partners: Largest U.S. multifamily and mixed-use operator and developer with global institutional reach; comparable in product category and target customer (institutional investors), though substantially larger and broader than First Form.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
First Form social profiles
Digital presenceFirst Form financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First Form leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
First Form funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First Form 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 First Form
What does First Form do?
First Form sponsors opportunistic mixed-use multifamily and retail development projects in dynamic U.S. neighborhoods, often alongside local joint venture partners. The firm also invests in select projects sponsored by other innovative developers, providing capital and strategic advisory services, and operates a private Investor Portal hosted on the Agora Real platform for investor reporting and access.
Is First Form a public or private company?
First Form is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was First Form founded?
First Form was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is First Form based?
First Form is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does First Form make money?
One revenue line is on record: real Estate Development and Investment.
Who are First Form's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The NRP Group, Mill Creek Residential, RangeWater Real Estate, Crescent Communities, Streetlights Residential and Wood Partners. Broad incumbents are JBG SMITH, Tishman Speyer, Skanska USA Commercial Development and Greystar Real Estate Partners.
Does First Form have an API?
No public API is recorded for First Form.