Home Properties prides itself on its "family feel." This public real estate investment trust (REIT), formed by Nelson and Norman Leenhouts in 1967, is run more like a traditional family business than a corporation. The company specializes in acquiring and repositioning older properties, typically from smaller family-run businesses that are looking to get out of the multifamily industry, says Nelson Leenhouts, co-CEO in charge of operations. The average property age of the company's portfolio is 30 years. Read more