Equity Residential
Real EstateIllinois, United States1001-5000 Employees
Equity Residential is a large publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns and operates high-quality rental apartment properties. Listed on the NYSE as EQR, it is among the nation’s largest such firms and was one of the first real estate companies included in the S&P 500. The company is based in Chicago, Illinois, and maintains a portfolio of about 78,000 apartment homes focused in urban and high-density suburban locations across Southern California, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Austin/Dallas, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Boston, and New York. Its stated purpose is Creating Communities Where People Thrive, with emphasis on inclusion, sustainability, social responsibility, and total wellbeing as drivers of its work. Equity Residential employs a sizeable workforce and supports a culture that aims to allow employees to be themselves and contribute. In May 2026, longtime chief executive Mark J. Parrell retired after eight years in the role and 27 years with the company.