Realtors Land Institute

What Realtors Land Institute does

Realtors Land Institute (RLI) is a nonprofit professional membership institute founded in 1944 (with a subsequent re-establishment noted in 2006), headquartered at 430 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois, and operated as a subsidiary within the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) ecosystem. RLI serves land real estate professionals — brokers and agents specializing in farm, ranch, recreational, timberland, transitional, and development properties — through its flagship Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation, the LANDU education program (Land Investment Analysis, Transitional Land Real Estate, Education Bootcamp, webinars, virtual roundtables), and an annual National Land Conference that reached its 20th anniversary in March 2026 in San Antonio.

The organization's product surface extends beyond credentials and coursework to consumer- and member-facing tools including the Find a Land Consultant directory, Land Connections property listing platform, the annual Land Market Survey (produced with NAR Research), the Member Advantage Program (MAP), the Land Line online community, and content channels Terra Firma magazine, the Voices of Land blog, and the Voices of Land podcast. Operations run through 18 regional chapters that host local networking and education, with chapter-level digital infrastructure (rebranded websites and databases) rolled out across the network in 2023.

RLI generates revenue through recurring membership dues, paid LANDU courses and ALC certification, and registration and sponsorship revenue from events. Membership growth has been a primary scale indicator, with reported 47% growth over five years and 303 new members added in 2023, alongside 683 ALC-credentialed professionals across the U.S. Staff size is small (1-10 employees), and detailed financial figures are not publicly disclosed; total revenue is best triangulated in the low single-digit millions range. The organization also participates in regulatory and advocacy work through NAR channels, including amicus briefs on landowner rights and challenges to the WOTUS rule, positioning RLI as a policy voice for the land real estate community.

Name

Realtors Land Institute

Legal name

REALTORS Land Institute

Website

https://rliland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Realtors Land Institute (RLI) is a nonprofit professional membership institute and NAR subsidiary that educates, certifies, and connects U.S. land real estate professionals through the ALC designation, LANDU coursework, 18 chapters, and the annual National Land Conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Real Estate Professional Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Business Associations (813910), Offices of Real Estate Appraisers (531320), Other Activities Related to Real Estate (531390)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate, Appraisal & Mortgage (Agent/Broker CE, Appraiser CE) (EDAAALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Brokerage (Raw Land & Development Sites) (FSAEAJAD), Land & Development Site Brokerage (BPAJABAG), Real Estate Development & Feasibility Advisory (Highest-and-Best-Use, Entitlements Support) (BPAJANAC), Real Estate & Property Services (EDABALAW)

Keywords

• Land real estate
• Professional designation
• Real estate education
• Professional membership
• Land brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: RLI generates revenue through annual membership fees from land professionals and industry partners. Membership provides access to education, networking, ALC designation, and member benefits.
2. Education and Certification Programs: Revenue from LANDU courses, ALC designation process, webinars, virtual roundtables, and education bootcamps for land professionals seeking to advance their expertise.
3. Events and Conferences: National Land Conference (NLC), ALC Retreat, and other industry events generate revenue through registration fees and sponsorships from partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

Realtors Land Institute (RLI) is a professional membership institute that delivers the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation, the LANDU land-specific education program, and a nationwide referral network for licensed real estate professionals specializing in land transactions such as farms, ranches, timberland, recreational properties, and development land. The organization generates revenue through membership dues, course and certification fees, and event registrations, while offering consumer-facing tools (Find a Land Consultant directory, Land Connections property listings) that connect landowners with member agents.

Product overview

Realtors Land Institute (RLI) is a professional membership organization providing a comprehensive ecosystem for land real estate professionals. The core offering centers on the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) Designation, the industry's elite professional credential. Supporting this are the LANDU Education Program with courses including Land Investment Analysis and Transitional Land Real Estate, and member benefits including the Member Advantage Program (MAP). Content and thought leadership are delivered through The Voices of Land Blog and Podcast, Terra Firma Magazine, and the annual Land Market Survey. The organization hosts the National Land Conference (NLC), RLI APEX Awards Program, and ALC Retreat. For consumers, RLI provides Find a Land Consultant directory and Land Connections property platform. The organization operates through 18 chapters nationwide with membership open to land professionals and industry partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LANDU: The land education program of RLI offering courses and professional development for land professionals.
• Terra Firma
• The Voices of Land

Products and services

• RLI Membership Annual professional membership for land real estate practitioners and industry partners, granting access to LANDU education, ALC designation pathway, chapter networking, Land Market Survey data, and member benefits.
• Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) Designation Elite professional designation for land sales professionals demonstrating commitment to education and proficiency in land transactions, recognized as the most prestigious credential in land real estate.
• LANDU Education Program Comprehensive land-specific education platform offering courses including Land Investment Analysis, Transitional Land Real Estate, and LANDU Education Bootcamp for land real estate professionals.
• National Land Conference (NLC) Annual flagship conference for land professionals featuring education sessions, networking, deal-making, the NLC Cowboy Auction, and the RLI Leadership Awards.
• Member Advantage Program (MAP) Program providing exclusive benefits and discounts to RLI members through partner offerings.
• Land Connections Property listing platform where RLI members can list land properties for sale, accessible to consumers seeking land.
• Land Market Survey Annual market survey compiled and released by RLI with NAR Research providing land market data and analysis.
• Find a Land Consultant Search tool allowing consumers to find qualified ALC-designated land consultants in their area.
• Land Line Community Online community platform for RLI members to connect and collaborate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 47% membership growth over 5 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• National Association of REALTORS (NAR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023RLI is a subsidiary of the National Association of REALTORS and represents land as a commercial specialty within the NAR ecosystem. RLI participates in NAR's annual NXT convention and Legislative Meetings, advocates for land industry interests through NAR channels, and benefits from NAR's scale and resources while maintaining its specialized focus on land real estate.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Appraisal Institute: The Appraisal Institute is a leading real estate valuation credentialing body with comparable designation programs (MAI, SRA), education courses, and chapter network. RLI itself references land appraisals as a member use case, making Appraisal Institute a natural adjacent credentialing peer.
• CCIM Institute: CCIM is a commercial real estate designation body with a comparable member-based education, credentialing (CCIM designation), and conference model. Both monetize via membership dues, course fees, and events, and serve specialized segments of the real estate brokerage community.
• Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR): SIOR is an elite designation organization for industrial and office real estate professionals, mirroring RLI's model of awarding a prestigious specialty credential (SIOR designation) supported by education, networking, and referral infrastructure.
• Counselors of Real Estate (CRE): CRE is an invitation-only real estate counselor membership organization offering a prestigious designation and peer network. Both operate as elite, credential-driven member institutes serving senior real estate professionals through education and consulting-oriented content.
• American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA): ASFMRA serves farm managers and rural appraisers — a substantially overlapping audience with RLI's farmland and ranch segment. Both run credentialing (Accredited Farm Manager, Accredited Rural Appraiser), education programs, and annual conferences for rural real estate professionals.
• Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM): IREM is an NAR-affiliated institute offering property management credentials (CPM, ARM) supported by education, certification, and chapter operations. Both are NAR-affiliated specialty institutes running parallel designation-and-education business models.

Emerging players

• LandWatch: LandWatch is a digital land listing marketplace that competes directly with RLI's Land Connections property platform. Both serve land buyers, sellers, and brokers, though LandWatch operates a much larger consumer-facing listing audience versus RLI's credentialed-member directory.
• Lands of America: Lands of America is a leading land listing platform for farms, ranches, and recreational properties, overlapping with RLI's Find a Land Consultant and Land Connections offerings. It serves the same end buyers/sellers that RLI members represent, making it a marketplace competitor.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of REALTORS (NAR): NAR is RLI's parent/strategic affiliate and the largest U.S. real estate trade association. Both serve licensed real estate professionals, but NAR operates across all specialties while RLI focuses exclusively on land; NAR provides institutional scale and member acquisition leverage for RLI.

Regional players

• National Association of Land Title Associations (ALTA): ALTA is the U.S. trade association for the land title industry, with a similar member-institute structure, education programs, and chapter network. While its focus is title insurance and settlement rather than brokerage, it is structurally analogous as a specialty real estate association serving a defined professional segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rliland
• Facebookfacebook.com/rliland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10051133/admin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Realtors Land Institute