Barry Tomlin is a boomerang employee. He recently came out of retirement after two years to return to The Breeden Co., a multifamily developer and manager based in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
After almost three decades in the multifamily industry, he left The Breeden Co. to move to Arizona to start his retirement. However, he couldn’t quite shake the rental business. While living in Arizona, he says he would shop some apartment communities to get a feel for what the market was like.

“We were doing some of the same things in Virginia—really creating a sense of community,” he says. “But it was neat to see the different thoughts that went into these projects, like pickleball courts and cabanas.”
When his mother suddenly passed away in Virginia, Tomlin returned for several weeks and touched base with his former Breeden colleagues.
“It seemed like something had been missing the past two years. I stopped by some properties that I had been part of developing and hadn’t seen open,” he says.
After returning to his home in Arizona, Tomlin notes he had a desire to be back with his family, including his work one, and returned to Virginia a month later to start his next chapter as vice president of customer service and marketing for Breeden.
“The company had a position that fit my skill set,” he says. “It was an easy transition. I was there for 15 years, and The Breeden Co. and [founder Ramon Breeden Jr.] treated me like family. I watched the company grow from 3,000 units to 15,000. To be able to come back and see the growth that I feel I was part of is so rewarding to me.”
Tomlin knows the property management side from soup to nuts, starting out as a manager at Emerald Point Apartments, comprising 863 units, in Virginia Beach. He then was promoted to vice president of operations, moving to the corporate office and spending the next 11 years focused on net operating incomes, staffing, property conditions, and development.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Barry back to The Breeden Co.,” says Bonnie Moore, president of property management. “Barry’s unparalleled experience and deep understanding of our company’s values and goals make him the perfect leader in elevating our global and community-specific customer service and marketing efforts. His return is a testament to our commitment to excellence and our dedication to providing the best possible experience for our residents and clients.”
In his new role in Breeden’s property management division, Tomlin will focus on developing and implementing strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and engagement. In addition, he will oversee marketing initiatives aimed at strengthening the division and the property-specific brand presence while attracting potential property owners, residents, and partners.
“We have always been top-notch when it comes to customer satisfaction, but there’s always room for improvement,” says Tomlin. “People aren’t just looking for four walls. They want a complex like you get at a resort when you’re on vacation. We want to make sure our residents aren’t here for the short term. We want them to have an experience to keep them here for many years to come.”
He adds that some of the initiatives include partnering with a new company on surveying all residents at different touch points during their multifamily journey, such as move-ins, move-outs, and maintenance; using proptech for data entry to free up resident managers’ time to create events and engage with residents; and additional internal training.
“Our mantra is we help others live better lives. I want to see that come to fruition for every resident,” he says. “We have a low turnover rate, but it’s going to get even better.”