Complimentary to its development activities, ContraVest also handles apartment construction and management, both for its own properties and for other developers. From years of experience, the principals of ContraVest have learned that the disciplines of development, construction and management are synergistic, in that success in one area demands understanding of the other two areas. This integrated operation accounts in large part for the steady growth of ContraVest in all three areas, and the number of third-party construction projects and management contracts the company handles each year.

The founding philosophy of ContraVest, as suggested by its name, has been to move counter to the prevailing dynamics of the multi-family real estate market. This contrarian strategy calls for the company to acquire land and develop apartment communities during stagnant market periods, so that it can seize the initiative from a strong position when the market rebounds.