University Real Estate & Property Management

What University Real Estate & Property Management does

University Real Estate & Property Management (URE) is a privately held, locally owned real estate firm founded in 1990 by Bob Latimer and headquartered at 603 W Main Street #102 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The company specializes in renting, selling, and managing premium condominiums and apartments within walking distance of the University of Tennessee and downtown Knoxville, serving primarily UT students, parents who invest in campus-area properties, and individual property owners seeking professional management. Since 2022, the firm has been co-owned and operated by Donnie Brown (Maintenance Operations) and Suzanne Moll (Property & HOA Manager/Broker, License #363698) following the passing of founder Bob Latimer. The team is small—between 1 and 10 employees—drawing on a co-ownership structure with a hands-on maintenance, leasing, and HOA management focus.

URE's core offerings include student housing rentals, real estate brokerage (sales), full-service property management for individual units and HOAs, and a maintenance program with 24/7 emergency response. The firm manages 22+ named condominium and apartment communities—including self-developed assets such as Lake Plaza Condominiums (69 units, 2009), River Towne Condominiums (50 units, 2006), and Franklin Station Condominiums (21 units, 1997)—and operates the historic 1221 Laurel Avenue House, a 10-apartment property. The technology stack is built on AppFolio, which provides owner, resident, and HOA web portals for maintenance requests, rent collection, and account management. Sales listings are syndicated to Realtor.com, Redfin, and Zillow for third-party marketplace visibility, and Tennessee Real Estate Firm License #256241 authorizes the firm's brokerage operations.

URE generates revenue through four streams: (1) recurring rental income from managed and owned properties, (2) brokerage commissions on condo sales (active listings range from $215,000 to $579,000, with comparable sold prices between $440,000 and $690,000), (3) ongoing property and HOA management fees, and (4) maintenance services including the No-Cost Maintenance Agreement program and 24/7 emergency response (with a $100 after-hours lockout charge). Monthly rents span $950 to $4,750 depending on unit size; the application fee is $75 and security deposits equal one month's rent. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, driven by direct website inquiries, walk-in office visits, phone outreach, and social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok targeting the student demographic. Customer segments are horizontally distributed across UT students (primary), parent-investors, individual property owners, and local downtown residents, with no enterprise or institutional customers.

Name

University Real Estate & Property Management

Legal name

University Real Estate, LLC

Website

https://urehousing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

University Real Estate is a locally owned Knoxville, TN real estate firm specializing in renting, selling, and managing condominiums and apartments near the University of Tennessee campus, serving students, parent-investors, and individual property owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Property Management

NAICS

Real Estate Property Managers (53131), Residential Property Managers (531311), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Housing Property Management (BPAJAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multifamily & Student Housing Asset Management (BPAJAMAD), Off-Campus / University-Affiliated Housing Management (EDAEAFAB)

Keywords

• Student housing rentals
• Property management services
• Residential real estate sales
• HOA management services
• Condo property maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Rental Income from Managed Properties: URE generates recurring rental income by managing a portfolio of condominiums and apartments near the University of Tennessee. They handle tenant placement, rent collection, and lease management for property owners.
2. Property Sales and Resales: URE earns commissions on the purchase and sale of condominiums and investment properties in the UT-area and downtown Knoxville market. Services include market analysis, pricing strategy, listing, marketing, buyer/seller representation, and closing coordination.
3. Property Management Services: URE charges fees for full-service property management including daily operations, rent collection, financial reporting, inspections, maintenance coordination, and resident relations for individual units, HOAs, and entire communities.
4. Maintenance Services: URE provides maintenance and repair services including plumbing, HVAC cleaning, lighting, appliance installations, inspections, household repairs, garbage disposals, ice makers, ceiling fans, and clog removal through their No-Cost Maintenance Agreement program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

University Real Estate & Property Management is a Knoxville-based real estate firm that rents, sells, and manages residential condominiums and apartments concentrated in the University of Tennessee campus area. The company delivers full-service property management for individual owners, HOAs, and entire communities, including tenant placement, rent collection, financial reporting, 24/7 maintenance, and HOA administration, and it also acts as a licensed real estate brokerage for buying and selling UT-area condos and investment properties.

Product overview

University Real Estate (URE) is a locally owned and operated property management and real estate services firm serving the University of Tennessee and downtown Knoxville areas. The company operates as a single integrated offering with three core service lines: student housing rentals (premium condos and apartments within walking distance of UT campus), real estate sales (buying and selling condos, townhomes, and downtown properties near UT), and property management services (leasing, HOA management, and comprehensive maintenance). The product portfolio centers on managed residential properties—including named condominium communities like Lake Plaza, Laurel Station, Franklin Station, River Towne, and 1801 Lake Avenue—augmented by AppFolio-powered owner, resident, and HOA portals for digital account access. URE emphasizes 35+ years of local expertise, 24/7 maintenance support, and student-focused housing with amenities such as included utilities, in-unit laundry, and security features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Housing Rentals
• Real Estate Sales and Brokerage
• Property Management Services
• Maintenance Services
• Leasing Services
• HOA Management HOA and community management for condominiums and shared properties, including community operations, owner communication, financial reporting, and enforcement of property standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Properties developed by URE include Franklin Station Condominiums (1997) with 21 units, River Towne Condominiums (2006) with 50 units, and Lake Plaza Condominiums (2009) with 69 units.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Property Company: National multifamily and student housing property manager offering leasing, management, and ancillary services. Similar operational scope to URE but across hundreds of properties nationwide.
• RPM Living: Large third-party residential property manager with student housing exposure, providing leasing, maintenance, and technology-enabled owner services. Comparable in service stack (AppFolio-style portals, full-service management) but at much larger scale.
• Greystar Real Estate Partners: World's largest student and multifamily housing operator with a broad portfolio including student housing. Overlaps with URE on student housing property management services but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Cushman & Wakefield (Property Management): Global commercial real estate services firm with a property management practice spanning residential and mixed-use assets. Comparable in offering property management, brokerage, and facilities support, though oriented to institutional clients.
• BH Management Services: Large residential property manager handling multifamily and student housing portfolios for institutional owners. Comparable service offering (full-service leasing, maintenance, financial reporting) but at national institutional scale.
• MAA (Mid-America Apartment Communities): Public multifamily REIT that owns and operates large apartment portfolios, including near university submarkets. Comparable to URE in managing garden-style and urban residential properties near campuses but operates at a vastly larger, geographically diversified scale.

Direct peers

• Scion Student Living: Student housing management and development firm that leases, manages, and markets purpose-built and converted student communities near major universities. Directly comparable in product focus (student rental housing near campus).
• Asset Campus Housing: National student housing property management firm that operates similar full-service leasing, management, and maintenance for off-campus student communities. Comparable to URE because both manage student-focused residential properties for third-party owners.
• Campus Apartments: Student housing operator owning, developing, and managing off-campus apartments near universities with full leasing and resident services. Comparable to URE in being a vertically integrated student housing specialist.
• Cardinal Group Companies: Specializes in student housing property management, including leasing, resident services, and marketing for university-area communities. Overlapping service model with URE (student rentals, full-service management, sales support).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/urehousing
• Instagraminstagram.com/universityrealestate
• TikToktiktok.com/@universityrealestate

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 University Real Estate & Property Management