The Max Collaborative
The Max Collaborative is a privately held real estate development firm founded in 2018 by the Ratner family, developing luxury, mixed-income, and mixed-use residential and commercial properties across Cleveland, Denver, and Los Angeles, with projects typically structured as Opportunity Zone developments under public-private partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersCleveland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Max Collaborative does
The Max Collaborative is a privately held real estate development company founded in 2018 and owned and operated by members of the Max Ratner family. It is the direct successor to Forest City Realty Trust, a Cleveland-headquartered firm whose roots trace to 1922; The Max Collaborative was established when Forest City was acquired by Brookfield Asset Management for $11.4 billion in 2018 and the founding families re-emerged as two independent real estate entities. The firm develops large-scale, mixed-use, mixed-income, and luxury residential projects, with a portfolio spanning 1,650+ residential units across seven ground-up developments and 165,000+ square feet of commercial space. Active markets include Cleveland (Raye, Upstairs, Van Aken District), Denver/Aurora (One River North, Wilder, The Broadleaf), and Los Angeles (A34), with projects frequently structured as Opportunity Zone developments and certified under Fitwel and LEED ND Gold standards.
The business model combines one-time development economics (ground-up construction, lease-up, and either long-term hold or sale to investors upon stabilization) with recurring asset management fees on stabilized holdings such as the Van Aken District. Revenue is generated through residential leasing, commercial tenant leases, and management services. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales: the firm pursues public-private partnerships through competitive bidding and direct negotiation with municipalities and transit authorities, while residential units are leased directly to consumers through project-specific websites and on-site leasing offices. The customer base spans individual residential renters, municipalities and public agencies, and institutional co-development partners such as The Pinyon Group, Uplands Real Estate Partners, and design firms including MAD Architects and Davis Partnership Architects.
The Max Collaborative employs approximately 13 people across its Shaker Heights, Ohio headquarters and Santa Monica, California regional office. Leadership consists of co-founders and Managing Partners Jon Ratner and Kevin Ratner, with a Board of Directors dominated by Ratner family members who collectively held senior leadership roles at Forest City for decades. Notable technology-adjacent capability is limited to biophilic and wellness-focused architectural design (e.g., One River North's landscaped canyon facade, Fast Company 2025 Innovation by Design honoree) rather than software or AI. The firm has no disclosed institutional capital backing, no funding rounds, and does not publicly report revenue.
The Max Collaborative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Max Collaborative
- Legal name
- The Max Collaborative
- Website
- https://themaxcollaborative.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Max Collaborative is a privately held real estate development firm founded in 2018 by the Ratner family, developing luxury, mixed-income, and mixed-use residential and commercial properties across Cleveland, Denver, and Los Angeles, with projects typically structured as Opportunity Zone developments under public-private partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Max Collaborative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Real Estate Development
- NAICS
- New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236116), Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multifamily Apartment Property Management (BPAJAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mixed-Use Property Management (BPAJAGAE)
Keywords
Where The Max Collaborative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cleveland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Max Collaborative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Real Estate Development: The company generates revenue through developing residential and mixed-use properties for sale or long-term holding. Revenue comes from luxury apartment developments, affordable housing initiatives, and mixed-use community projects including retail and office components. Properties are held as investment assets or sold to investors upon stabilization.
- Asset Management: The company manages real estate assets including the Van Aken District and other properties, earning ongoing management fees and maintaining involvement in operating developments.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Max Collaborative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Max Collaborative is a multi-disciplinary real estate development company that creates distinctive residential and mixed-use properties, including luxury apartment communities, mixed-income housing initiatives, and large-scale master-planned developments. The company generates revenue by developing properties for sale or long-term holding, combined with ongoing asset management services for properties like the Van Aken District. Projects are designed with sustainability, wellness, and community-building focus, ranging from Fitwel-certified buildings to LEED-certified developments and Opportunity Zone projects.
Product overview
The Max Collaborative is a multi-disciplinary real estate development company that creates distinctive residential and mixed-use properties. The company operates as a unified portfolio of development projects rather than a software product platform. Their core offerings include luxury apartment communities (Raye, One River North, Wilder, Upstairs), mixed-use developments (Van Aken District), and mixed-income housing projects (A34, The Broadleaf). Each project is designed with specific wellness, sustainability, or community-building focus, ranging from wellness-certified buildings (Fitwel) to LEED-certified developments and Opportunity Zone projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- A34 A ground up, Opportunity Zone development on a 5.03-acre site featuring 468 mixed-income homes (including 66 low-income and 192 moderate-income units), publicly-accessible greenspace, and over 9,000 square feet of retail in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles. It opened in fall 2025 as a mixed-income housing development replacing a functionally obsolete industrial site with a three-building campus.
- Raye An 18-story ground up apartment community in Shaker Heights, Ohio offering 1- and 2-bedroom suites as well as 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom premium and penthouse residences with amenities including heated saltwater pool, 24-hour fitness center, yoga studio, dog run and spa, curated social events and full-service concierge.
- Wilder A nine-story, ground up, Opportunity Zone Art Deco-inspired apartment building with Fitwel certification in Denver, Colorado, featuring a cutting-edge fitness center with yoga studio, two rooftop terraces with city and mountain views, rooftop plunge pool, and collaborative co-working spaces.
- The Broadleaf A ground up, Opportunity Zone development adjacent to the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO with 370 market rate residential units and 9,000 feet of ground floor retail. The tallest residential building in the area with over a half-acre of outdoor amenity areas.
- One River North A 187-unit ground up, Opportunity Zone apartment building in Denver, Colorado featuring a landscaped canyon along the outer facade designed by MAD Architects and Davis Partnership Architects, inspired by biophilia to immerse residents in Colorado flora and environs.
- Upstairs A collection of generous and contemporary apartments and penthouses within Van Aken District in Shaker Heights, Ohio featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, generous storage, and timeless materials such as porcelain, quartz, and teak. Three suite styles and 19 floor plans available across 103 luxury apartment units.
- Van Aken District A 15-year mixed-use development project in Shaker Heights, Ohio featuring 100,000 sq. ft. retail including market hall, 65,000 sq. ft. office space, 103 luxury apartment units, and 0.25 acres public park. Focused on purposeful planning, public-private partnerships, and transit-oriented development as a vehicle for neighborhood and economic revitalization.
Companies that use The Max Collaborative
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Max Collaborative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Max Collaborative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Pinyon GroupcoreThe Pinyon Group served as development partner for the A34 project in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles. A34 is a 468-unit mixed-income development on a 5.03-acre Opportunity Zone site featuring residential units and publicly-accessible greenspace.
- Uplands Real Estate PartnerscoreUplands Real Estate Partners was the development partner for the Upstairs project within the Van Aken District in Shaker Heights, Ohio. The project includes 103 luxury apartment units.
- MAD ArchitectscoreMAD Architects designed One River North in Denver, Colorado. The 187-unit apartment building features a landscaped canyon along the outer facade, inspired by biophilia. The design earned Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards recognition.
- Davis Partnership ArchitectscoreDavis Partnership Architects collaborated on One River North and Wilder projects in Denver, Colorado. Davis Partnership designed Wilder's Art Deco-inspired architecture.
- KFA ArchitecturecoreKFA Architecture was the architect for the A34 project in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles. The project was envisioned as an oasis of greenspace with three buildings on a 5.03-acre site.
- The FeelminorThe Feel, an LA-based fine art focused interiors firm, curated local art around A34's campus in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles.
- NINE dot ARTScoreNINE dot ARTS, a Denver-based women-owned art consultancy, curated over 400 pieces of artwork for Wilder including five original commissioned pieces from local artists.
- NAVAminorNAVA is referenced as an architect or design partner for the Wilder project in Denver, Colorado.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Max Collaborative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Related Companies: Large national developer of mixed-use, affordable, and market-rate residential projects including Hudson Yards. Comparable because both pursue large-scale, mixed-income, master-planned communities with a focus on placemaking and public-private partnerships, though Related operates at far greater scale.
- Greystar Real Estate Partners: Largest US apartment operator and developer with a national multifamily development pipeline. Comparable as a multifamily developer-operator serving similar renter segments, though Greystar operates at vastly greater scale and also runs third-party management.
- Lincoln Property Company: National multifamily developer, manager, and investor. Comparable because it develops market-rate and mixed-use apartment communities across major US metros and operates its own management platform, mirroring Max Collaborative's develop-and-manage approach.
- Toll Brothers Apartment Living: Multifamily development arm of Toll Brothers building luxury apartment communities nationwide. Comparable in developing high-end multifamily product in supply-constrained metros, though backed by a public homebuilder parent.
- Trammell Crow Company: Major US commercial real estate developer with multifamily, mixed-use, and office projects. Comparable as a diversified developer pursuing large-scale, mixed-use, public-private development similar to Forest City's historical mandate.
Direct peers
- Crescent Communities: Multifamily and mixed-use developer with ESG-forward and wellness-certified projects. Comparable because both emphasize wellness certifications, biophilic design, and master-planned communities in select US metros with a similar mid-sized institutional footprint.
- Mill Creek Residential: Multifamily developer focused on Class A apartments in major US metros including Denver and Los Angeles. Comparable because both develop luxury and market-rate apartment communities in overlapping markets with similar design-forward, amenity-rich positioning.
- NRP Group: National multifamily developer specializing in market-rate and affordable housing across multiple US metros. Directly comparable because NRP develops mixed-income apartment communities in similar geographies and was a previous employer of Max Collaborative's Senior Managing Director of Accounting.
Market position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Max Collaborative social profiles
Digital presenceThe Max Collaborative compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
The Max Collaborative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Max Collaborative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
The Max Collaborative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Max Collaborative 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 The Max Collaborative
What does The Max Collaborative do?
The Max Collaborative is a multi-disciplinary real estate development company that creates distinctive residential and mixed-use properties, including luxury apartment communities, mixed-income housing initiatives, and large-scale master-planned developments. The company generates revenue by developing properties for sale or long-term holding, combined with ongoing asset management services for properties like the Van Aken District. Projects are designed with sustainability, wellness, and community-building focus, ranging from Fitwel-certified buildings to LEED-certified developments and Opportunity Zone projects.
Is The Max Collaborative a public or private company?
The Max Collaborative is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Max Collaborative founded?
The Max Collaborative was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Max Collaborative based?
The Max Collaborative is headquartered in Cleveland, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Max Collaborative make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Real Estate Development is the primary driver. The others are asset Management.
Who are The Max Collaborative's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Related Companies, Greystar Real Estate Partners, Lincoln Property Company, Toll Brothers Apartment Living and Trammell Crow Company. Direct peers are Crescent Communities, Mill Creek Residential and NRP Group.
Does The Max Collaborative have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Max Collaborative.
What industry is The Max Collaborative in?
The Max Collaborative's product category is Real Estate Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAFAA, Multifamily Apartment Property Management, with a secondary code of BPAJAGAE, Mixed-Use Property Management. Its NAICS code is 236116 and its SIC code is 6531.