National Consumer Reporting Association

What National Consumer Reporting Association does

The National Consumer Reporting Association (NCRA) is a U.S. trade association founded in 1992 that represents consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) operating in the mortgage reporting and tenant screening verticals. Its membership includes approximately 70% of the mortgage consumer reporting agencies in the United States that produce tri-merge credit reports meeting HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac requirements, as well as the nation's leading resident screening firms serving multifamily housing providers. NCRA members collectively provide regulated consumer data to mortgage lenders and rental housing providers to enable informed housing decisions; the association itself describes its purpose as "empowering housing decisions through reliable insights." NCRA does not build proprietary technology. Its core products are services: FCRA Certification and continuing-education programs (Level I and Level II delivered through a self-paced learning management system), the annual Elevate conference (Salt Lake City 2025, New Orleans 2026) with major bureau and technology sponsors, recurring webinars, the monthly NCRA Connections newsletter, the NCRA Blog, and a public-facing financial literacy video series. The association maintains a members-only portal and acts as an industry advocate on FCRA, CFPB, FTC, and housing legislation. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors composed of executives from member CRAs including Acutraq, Xactus, Roofstock, Cotality, SARMA, Certified Credit, Yardi, AmRent, Covius, Factual Data, Alliance 2020, Service 1st, Credit Information Systems, and Contemporary Information Corp. NCRA generates revenue through a combination of recurring membership dues from CRAs and associate members, fees from FCRA certification and training programs (with member discounts), and conference registration and sponsorship revenue from major industry players including Equifax, FICO, Experian, TransUnion, and MeridianLink. Distribution is direct to members via the website portal and training platform; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization is led by President Eric J. Ellman, who assumed the role in February 2025 after nearly 27 years at the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA), including two tours as CDIA President/CEO. NCRA is headquartered at 225 S. Main St., Council Bluffs, Iowa, and operates as an independent private non-profit with no disclosed parent company or external investors.

Name

National Consumer Reporting Association

Legal name

National Consumer Reporting Association

Website

https://ncrainc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NCRA is a U.S. trade association founded in 1992 representing consumer reporting agencies in mortgage reporting and tenant screening, with membership covering ~70% of U.S. mortgage CRAs. It delivers FCRA certification, annual conferences, and industry advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Credit Bureaus (561450)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)

akta.pro primary industry

Credit Bureaus & Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies (FSAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Consumer reporting agencies
• Mortgage credit reporting
• Tenant screening services
• FCRA compliance training
• Trade association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Roselle

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: NCRA generates revenue through membership fees from consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) offering mortgage reporting or tenant screening services, and associate membership fees from supporting companies.
2. FCRA Education and Certification Programs: NCRA offers FCRA certification programs with Level I and Level II certification levels. Programs are self-paced through a learning management system. Member discounts are available.
3. Annual Conference (Elevate): NCRA hosts annual conferences (Elevate 2025, Elevate 2026) with registration fees, sponsorships from major industry players including Equifax, FICO, Experian, TransUnion, MeridianLink, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NCRA is a nonprofit trade association that serves consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) operating in the U.S. mortgage reporting and tenant screening markets. It delivers FCRA-focused education and certification programs, advocates on consumer data and housing policy, and convenes the industry through the annual Elevate conference, webinars, and member publications. Its member CRAs supply tri-merge credit reports and resident screening reports to mortgage lenders and property managers.

Product overview

NCRA is a national trade organization for consumer reporting agencies, not a technology product company. It offers a portfolio of membership services including FCRA certification and education programs, the Elevate annual conference, webinars, and publications like the NCRA Connections newsletter. The organization connects consumer reporting agencies with mortgage lenders and property managers, providing resources for compliance, professional development, and industry advocacy rather than a unified software platform or product suite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers3 records

Segments4 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.

• IDIQcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2025IDIQ partnered with NCRA to transform how millions of renters build credit. Through NCRA's network of member agencies and their property management clients, renters nationwide gain access to rent payment reporting services that turn their largest monthly expense into a credit-building opportunity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP): IAPP is the leading global trade association for privacy and data protection professionals, including CIPP/US certification used by NCRA members. Comparable as a credentialing and education body serving data governance professionals, and an ecosystem partner for NCRA's FCRA-focused certification programs.
• National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA): NFHA is the national civil rights organization focused on fair housing, directly engaged with both tenant screening practices and mortgage underwriting compliance that NCRA members operate within. Comparable as a stakeholder organization shaping the regulatory landscape NCRA navigates, but on the consumer advocacy side.
• National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB): NAMB is the trade association for mortgage brokers, a downstream customer of NCRA member agencies that consume tri-merge credit reports. Comparable as an industry association serving a specific mortgage-related vertical with advocacy, education, and certification programs; not a direct CRA peer but an adjacent voice in the mortgage ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• National Apartment Association (NAA): NAA is the leading trade association for the rental housing industry and represents the property managers whose tenant screening decisions are powered by NCRA member firms. Comparable as a membership association with conferences, education/certification (CAM, NALP), and advocacy; not a CRA peer but a structurally adjacent vertical association.
• Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA): MBA is the largest trade association representing the real estate finance industry, including mortgage lenders that consume NCRA members' tri-merge credit reports. Comparable as a major industry association with conferences, education, and policy advocacy, but operating at a much larger scale across the entire mortgage ecosystem.
• National Association of Realtors (NAR): NAR is the dominant U.S. trade association for residential real estate professionals, downstream users of NCRA tenant screening and mortgage reporting services. Comparable as a high-scale, membership-driven trade association with education, certification, advocacy, and conferences, but operating at far greater scale and across the broader real estate industry.
• Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA): CDIA is the larger, more established trade association representing the consumer data/credit reporting industry, including the nationwide credit bureaus. It is the most direct industry peer to NCRA, both lobbying on FCRA-related policy and offering member education, but CDIA's scope is broader (all consumer reporting, not specifically mortgage and tenant screening).

Emerging players

• TransUnion (US Consumer Interactive): TransUnion is the third nationwide consumer credit bureau and an Elevate sponsor, with NCRA members producing tri-merge reports using TransUnion data. Comparable as a credit bureau stakeholder in NCRA's ecosystem, but operates as a for-profit data vendor rather than a trade association.
• Experian (US Consumer Services): Experian is one of the three nationwide consumer credit bureaus and a major Elevate sponsor, with NCRA members producing tri-merge reports sourced from Experian data. Comparable as a credit bureau player in NCRA's ecosystem, but operates at vastly greater scale as a for-profit data vendor rather than an industry association.

Direct peers

• National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS): NAPBS, now the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA), is a trade association for background screening firms, overlapping with NCRA's tenant screening membership base. Comparable in mission and structure (membership trade association, FCRA-focused education and certification, annual conference) but focused on consumer reporting agencies serving employment screening rather than housing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCRA1992
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-consumer-reporting-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalconsumerreporting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about National Consumer Reporting Association