Dealmakers couldn't be reached by press time due to the NationalMulti-Family Housing Conference being held in Boca Raton, FL. Inthis morning's press release, Riverstone says the combinedcompanies are creating the largest independently owned third-partyproperty services in the US. Riverstone, headquartered in Dallasand Rockville, MD, is a subsidiary of Consolidated AmericanServices Inc., the US property management arm for UK-based RegisCapital Ltd. Its network consists of 23 divisional offices and4,300 associates.

Dan Shaw, RMI's CEO, says the company has been approached manytimes in the past to partner with others. "But until now we neverfound the right fit that benefited both the business and ourclients," he says in the release.

According to RMI's website, it acquires and partners withdevelopers. Whether Riverstone intends to incorporate that into itsmodel is one of the unanswered questions.