Driving Scalable, Centralized Accounting at Collective Residential
As Collective continues to scale its platform and expand its impact across the multifamily real estate industry, strong financial leadership is critical. Tony Zitella joins as Corporate Controller to lead a key initiative: centralizing accounting across our portfolio while preserving the expertise that makes each team successful.
His mandate is clear; build a more streamlined, consistent accounting function that enables better decision-making across the business, without losing what already works.
Building a More Connected Financial System
At Collective Residential, centralized accounting is a strategic lever. Tony is focused on bringing together the financial operations of each portfolio company into a cohesive system that improves visibility, accuracy, and speed.
He sees opportunity in unifying, not replacing, the strengths of each team:
“The biggest opportunity we have is the range of skillsets and viewpoints across our PortCo teams. By bringing those together, we can drive collaboration and establish best practices. That leads to more accurate, timely financials and ultimately gives Collective better visibility into the business environment. The result is faster, more informed decisions across various areas like acquisitions and staffing.”
By aggregating processes and standardizing where it matters, Collective creates a stronger financial foundation powered by better data and shared expertise across the portfolio.
Experience That Scales with the Platform
Tony brings over 20 years of experience in real estate accounting and financial leadership, along with a CPA designation and a track record of building and scaling high-performing financial operations.
His expertise spans financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, compliance, and strategic financial planning – capabilities that are critical to supporting growth across a distributed portfolio.
Most recently, he served as Controller at Lakeshore Management, where he led accounting operations and drove greater consistency across a large and growing portfolio. Prior to that, Tony spent more than 11 years at McDonald’s Corporation as a Real Estate Accounting Manager, gaining deep experience managing complex real estate financials at scale.
That combination of institutional experience and hands-on leadership informs his approach at Collective Residential: build systems that scale, standardize what matters, and create financial infrastructure that enables operators to move faster with confidence.
Standardization That Supports Operators
Tony’s approach is rooted in balance. While processes are centralized to drive efficiency, the operational knowledge within each portfolio company remains essential.
“While each PortCo may operate differently, it’s important to standardize key accounting processes and policies. At the same time, teams should have flexibility in how they execute and how they use the financial insights provided.”
For operators joining Collective Residential, this means gaining access to a more robust accounting infrastructure without losing control of how they run their business. Tony’s leadership ensures they’re supported with the tools, processes, and insights needed to scale more effectively.
Beyond the Numbers
Outside of work, Tony is deeply passionate about sports. A proud Indiana University alum, he closely follows IU athletics and has recently added the University of Nebraska to the mix, where his oldest daughter attends. You’ll often find him keeping up with games, especially when those two schools are playing.
He also stays active himself, regularly playing basketball and pickleball, and makes it a priority to recharge with trips to warmer destinations during the winter months.
Earlier in life, Tony had a taste for high-adrenaline experiences such as skydiving, bungee jumping and whitewater rafting. While those days are mostly behind him, that same appetite for challenge and willingness to push limits still shows up in how he approaches his work today.
Looking Ahead
Tony’s arrival underscores Collective’s commitment to building a best-in-class platform that strengthens operators through both strategic and operational support.
About Collective Residential
Collective Residential is a national collective of real estate owners and operators reimagining property management. By reducing manual reporting and operational complexity, Collective Residential empowers teams to focus on what matters most: improving performance and driving value across their portfolios.
Property management, done right.
Connect with us to explore how technology, collaboration, and operational excellence can support your next chapter.
If you’re ready to learn more about how Collective could partner with your property management company, let’s talk.
Visit www.collectiveresidential.com or email ksikaria@collectiveresidential.com to learn more about how Collective combines technology and people-first principles for long-term success.
