US Giant Greystar Buys the Santiago Landlord Behind 12 Rental Buildings
Real Estate
Key Facts
—The deal. US giant Greystar acquired 100% of Chile’s Lar Group, a firm specialized in operating multifamily rental buildings.
—The target. Lar Group manages a portfolio of 12 residential rental buildings across Santiago.
—The seller. Lar Group belongs to Sanvest, linked to the Villaseca family.
—The timing. Talks began about a year ago and the deal closed in July 2026.
—The strategy. It deepens Greystar’s business of managing rental buildings for third parties, a niche still underdeveloped in Chile.
The biggest name in American apartment rentals is planting a bigger flag in Chile. Greystar has bought a local multifamily operator, a Greystar Chile push deeper into the country’s build-to-rent market.
Greystar is the largest operator of residential rentals in the United States, a specialist in the business known as multifamily, where whole buildings are held and run purely for rent.
Now it is expanding that model in Chile.
The Acquisition
Greystar agreed to buy 100% of Lar Group, a Chilean company that operates multifamily assets. Conversations started about a year ago, intensified in late 2025 and closed in July.
Lar Group manages a portfolio of 12 buildings in Santiago districts including Las Condes, Vitacura, Ñuñoa, La Florida and Santiago Centro.
Betting on Build-to-Rent
The deal advances Greystar’s strategy of managing rental buildings on behalf of their owners, a model that is huge globally but has been less developed in Chile.
Greystar says existing contracts with the buildings’ owners will be kept and its focus will be maintaining operational continuity.
Why It Matters
Chile has one of Latin America’s more mature build-to-rent markets, and the arrival of the world’s biggest operator is a vote of confidence in it.
For renters and developers, more professional management can mean better-run buildings, and for the sector, a signal that global capital sees room to grow.
The Rise of Build-to-Rent in Latin America
Build-to-rent, where investors own whole buildings and rent them out professionally, is well established in the US and Europe but still young in much of Latin America. Chile has been one of the region’s earliest adopters.
The model appeals to younger, mobile renters who want quality housing without buying, and to investors seeking steady, inflation-linked income. Professional operators bring standardized management and scale.
By buying an established local platform rather than building from scratch, Greystar gets an instant portfolio and a team that knows the market. Keeping the existing contracts and staff is meant to avoid disruption.
Its arrival is likely to speed the sector’s growth in Chile and could pave the way for expansion elsewhere. For tenants, more institutional landlords can mean better-run buildings, if also more standardized pricing.
More: Chile news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Sources
- La Tercera – Gigante estadounidense Greystar crece en Chile y adquiere operador de multifamily
- Diario Financiero – Gigante Greystar concreta su primera compra de edificios solo para renta en Chile
Connected Coverage
Sources: Greystar; Lar Group; Sanvest.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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Frequently Asked Questions
What did Greystar buy in Chile?
Greystar acquired 100% of Lar Group, a Chilean firm that operates multifamily rental buildings, in a deal closed in July 2026.
What does Lar Group manage?
Lar Group runs a portfolio of 12 residential rental buildings across Santiago, in districts such as Las Condes, Vitacura, Ñuñoa, La Florida and Santiago Centro.
Why is Greystar expanding in Chile?
The deal deepens its business of managing rental buildings for third parties, a model that is large globally but underdeveloped in Chile, one of Latin America’s more mature build-to-rent markets.