AvalonBay Communities, Inc., is an equity real estate investment trust (REIT ). It has a long-term track record of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing distinctive apartment homes in some of the best U.S. markets, and delivering outsized, risk-adjusted returns to shareholders. With equal parts experience and vision, they've established a leadership position rooted in building value for the long term. They focus on the ownership and operation of upscale apartment communities in high barrier-to-entry markets of the United States. These markets include Northern and Southern California and selected states in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest regions of the country. AvalonBay is the surviving corporation from the merger of Avalon Properties, Inc. with and into Bay Apartment Communities, Inc.