Professional Associations – Real Estate
Professional associations are organizations that provide their members opportunities for learning, advocacy, and networking. Their membership is typically comprised of individuals in a particular profession, folks who work in the same industry, or people who share a common identity—similar to the student organization’s here in the College of Business, like Society for Human Resource Management, Real Estate Club, or Latinx Business Association.
Joining a professional association (even as a college student!) provides numerous benefits worth considering.
One of the biggest reasons to join a professional association is to build relationships with people in your industry or role. Connecting to a community of professionals while you’re in college can help you gain career insights, access to possible mentors (many associations have membership directories), and build a foundation of professional contacts that will be helpful as you begin your post-grad career.
Many professional associations have LinkedIn pages or groups you could join, too!
Attending conferences, webinars, and meet-ups hosted by a professional association will allow you to keep up with trends, knowledge, and skills necessary to be successful in your future career. You can dive deeper into niche topics, or even earn a credential, which will set you apart from other soon-to-be graduates. There may even be opportunities to volunteer on a committee or gain leadership experience, which can bolster your resume.
Apart from networking with members and professionals who may have job or internship opportunities to share, many professional associations have job boards (some are open, some require membership to access) or job announcements they send out to members.
As a membership benefit, professional associations may send out a newsletter, industry journal, or provide access to other resources to their members, again providing you the opportunity to learn from other professionals and stay on top of current news and trends.
Some professional associations offer scholarships and funding opportunities to make attending conferences and events, or earning credentials, more financially feasible for students. Associations often offer discounted student membership pricing you can take advantage of, too.
Below is just a sample of professional associations related to the Real Estate concentration. For a more comprehensive list visit CareerOneStop, linked below, where you can search a database of hundreds of organizations by industry and/or role.
*Check association websites for up-to-date membership information and pricing.
Real Estate
Professional Associations
National Association of Realtors
America’s largest trade association aligned with the residential and commercial real estate industries, with 1.5 million+ members. Our membership is composed of residential and commercial brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors, and others engaged in the real estate industry.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP)
NAIOP elevates the commercial real estate development industry by providing advocacy, education, research and connections to foster business opportunities.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network
Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network is a global organization that advances all women in commercial real estate through business networking, industry research, leadership development, and career outreach initiatives.
*No national membership options; find a regional chapter to join.
📍 CREW Northern Colorado Chapter
📍 CREW Denver Chapter
🎓 Discounted student membership!
Northern Colorado Association of Commercial Realtors
The Northern Colorado Commercial Association of Realtors® fosters information sharing, education, advocacy and represents the interests of commercial real estate practitioners of Northern Colorado. We have 4 networking events each year that allow our members to conduct business with other Commercial Brokers and/or Affiliate members who can help them in their business.
🫱🏾🫲🏻 Networking events are often free to students!
The mission of the Urban Land Institute is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. With over 1,200 members statewide, the Colorado district council is committed to applying best practices in land use through community workshops, educational events, and professional development programs. ULI Colorado engages its members to help them build their careers and participate in their community.
🫱🏾🫲🏻 Northern Colorado networking events are often free to students!
International Council of Shopping Centers
The member organization for industry advancement, ICSC promotes and elevates the marketplaces and spaces where people shop, dine, work, play, and gather as foundational and vital ingredients of communities and economies.
🎓 Free membership available to CSU Real Estate students!
National Association of Residential Property Managers
The National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) provides a permanent trade organization for the residential property management industry. NARPM is the premier professional association of residential property managers, currently representing more than 6,000 members comprised of real estate agents, brokers, managers, and their employees.
MBA is the only association representing all segments of the real estate finance industry. We unite the interests of diverse stakeholders, from main street to wall street, spanning all aspects of real estate finance, including commercial, multifamily and residential.