Exhibit 99.9

                        CONSENT TO BE NAMED AS A TRUSTEE


     I, John M. Richman, hereby consent to be nominated as a trustee of
Archstone-Smith Trust and to be named as such in the Archstone-Smith Trust
registration statement on Form S-4 and in the Archstone Communities Trust
registration statement on Form S-4 filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.


Dated: June 22, 2001                   /s/ John M. Richman
                                       ---------------------
                                           John M. Richman