Why Vertical Integration Matters in Mid-Sized Markets

At Highgates, we take projects from land acquisition all the way through construction and management. We’ve found that when everything is handled under one roof, we spend less time coordinating between outside parties and more time solving problems directly.

That clarity shows up in unexpected ways. According to Tulli Waldman, Principal at Highgates, one day their property manager called in a panic, a man in a suit had unexpectedly arrived on-site, introducing himself as the mayor of Muncie, Indiana. “He’d heard about Highgates from a potential investor and wanted to see if we were the real deal,” Tulli recalls. Because the management and construction teams work so closely together, the property was immaculate. The mayor left impressed and later offered Highgates to develop in his city.

It wasn’t always this seamless. Before Highgates became fully integrated, the company relied on third-party management firms whose incentives didn’t align. “Their income was based on gross revenue with little focus on expenses or on-site employee experience,” Tulli says. “They didn’t care about the details that matter to an owner.” That frustration led to a turning point: bringing property management in-house.

Now, every part of the process, from site prep to leasing, runs through a single, connected team. When a new building opens, construction and management coordinate immediately on any resident feedback to make sure every detail is right.

As Tulli puts it, “Vertical integration is about speed & accountability. Everyone from construction to management is focused on the same goals, and that’s what keeps our properties performing and our reputation strong.”

We don’t see vertical integration as a strategy. It’s simply how we’ve built a system that holds up, across different projects, different markets, and different economic cycles.

It took a while to get here, but we’re grateful for the team that makes Highgates successful.