Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors

What Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors does

Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS (ACAR) is a private nonprofit regional trade association headquartered in Broadview Heights, Ohio, serving real estate professionals across Northeast Ohio (Summit and Cuyahoga Counties). Founded in 1892 (per firmographic data; an alternate source cites 1920), ACAR operates as the local tier of a three-tier membership structure: a single ACAR membership automatically confers membership in the Ohio Association of REALTORS and the National Association of REALTORS, the largest trade association in the United States. The organization is led by CEO Mike Valerino and VP of Advocacy Jamie McMillen, supported by a 1-10 person staff and a volunteer board/committee structure.

ACAR's product surface consists of (a) recurring membership tiers (REALTOR, Commercial REALTOR, Affiliate), (b) professional development and designation programs delivered in partnership with Ohio REALTORS (ABR, SRS, SRES, PSA, DEI Certification), (c) a Find a REALTOR consumer directory and housing data/statistics service, (d) advocacy and housing policy outputs (e.g., the Local Lineup Housing Policy Brief series covering municipal zoning across Cuyahoga and Summit Counties), and (e) networking infrastructure including YPN, broker forums, committees, and councils.

The business model is subscription/dues-based recurring revenue supplemented by per-course and per-event fees for designations, certifications, and specialized training. Distribution is primarily through the akronclevelandrealtors.com website, the member portal, virtual and in-person orientations, and partner-venue events across the region. ACAR holds strategic partnerships with NAR, Ohio Association of REALTORS, Cuyahoga County Planning Commission (Unified Zoning Code initiative), Cuyahoga Land Bank, Habitat for Humanity Barberton, and Congresswoman Shontel Brown's Housing Expo. The underlying technology stack is conventional web/member portal infrastructure; no proprietary AI, data products, or APIs are documented.

Name

Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors

Legal name

Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS

Website

https://akronclevelandrealtors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS is a nonprofit regional trade association serving licensed real estate professionals in Northeast Ohio, bundling local, state (Ohio), and national (NAR) membership with advocacy, continuing education, and housing data services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Trade Association Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAI

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

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

Keywords

• Real estate association
• Realtor membership
• Continuing education
• Professional development
• Housing advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Broadview Heights

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: Association membership dues provide revenue through REALTOR® and Commercial REALTORS® memberships. Affiliate members from title agencies, financial institutions, home inspection services, publishing houses, mortgage companies, law firms, and other real estate specialties pay separate affiliate dues. Membership includes automatic enrollment in National Association of REALTORS® and Ohio Association of REALTORS®.
2. Professional Development and Certifications: Revenue generated from continuing education courses, designation programs (SRES, ABR, SRS, PSA), and certification classes (DEI Certification). Courses are offered virtually and in-person with varying credit hours and pricing.
3. Event and Training Fees: Fees charged for specialized training sessions, broker forums, and advocacy week events. Pricing varies between members and non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACAR is a private, nonprofit professional trade association serving real estate professionals in Northeast Ohio. It sells memberships (REALTOR, Commercial REALTORS, Affiliates) that automatically bundle membership in the National Association of REALTORS and the Ohio Association of REALTORS. It also delivers continuing education, designation and certification programs (ABR, SRS, SRES, PSA, DEI), housing market data, advocacy on local zoning and housing policy, and member networking events.

Product overview

The Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS operates as a trade association offering a unified membership platform that combines professional development, advocacy, and member services. The core product is the REALTOR Membership, which automatically bundles membership in the National Association of REALTORS and Ohio Association of REALTORS. Supporting services include a Find a REALTOR directory, housing data and statistics, DEI certification programs, new member orientation, and continuing education courses offering designations such as ABR, SRS, SRES, and PSA. The association also provides a Young Professionals Network (YPN) for early-career members and an Affiliates tier for industry partners including title agencies, mortgage companies, and law firms. Advocacy services deliver housing policy briefs covering municipal zoning and regulatory changes across Northeast Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• REALTOR Membership Core membership in ACAR for licensed residential real estate agents and brokers, automatically bundling membership in the National Association of REALTORS and the Ohio Association of REALTORS. Provides access to advocacy, professional development, networking, and member services.
• Commercial REALTORS Membership Dedicated membership category for commercial real estate professionals, with access to commercial-specific training, advocacy, and market intelligence resources.
• Affiliates Membership Membership tier for real estate industry service providers including title agencies, financial institutions, home inspection service organizations, publishing houses, mortgage companies, and law firms.
• DEI Certification Program Diversity, Equity & Inclusion certification offered in partnership with Ohio REALTORS. Requires completion of 6 out of 8 virtual classes; each class is $26 and provides 1 hour of Real Estate Continuing Education credit. Valid for 2 years.
• Continuing Education and Designation Courses (ABR, SRS, SRES, PSA) Real estate continuing education courses including designations such as Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR), Seller Representative Specialist (SRS), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), and Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA), plus legal updates. Courses are offered virtually through Ohio REALTORS and in-person, with each course providing 6-12 hours of real estate credit.
• New Member Orientation Onboarding program for new ACAR members covering the real estate market overview, the role of the REALTOR association, tools and resources for new agents, networking opportunities, and free professional headshots. Offered in-person at the ACAR office and live on Zoom.
• Specialized Training and Broker Forum Events Specialized training sessions (such as Septic & Private Water Systems) and Broker Forums priced separately for ACAR members and non-members (e.g., $15 member / $25 non-member for 1-hour CE training).
• Housing Data & Statistics Market data, housing statistics, and trend reports for the Northeast Ohio real estate market, provided to members and consumers for informed decision-making.
• Find a REALTOR Directory Online search tool that allows consumers to locate licensed REALTORS in the Akron-Cleveland area through the member portal directory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Membership automatically includes National Association of REALTORS® and Ohio Association of REALTORS® membership

Named customers5 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerACAR membership automatically includes membership in the National Association of REALTORS®, the largest trade association in the nation. NAR provides advocacy resources, research, legal guidance, professional development frameworks, and access to national REALTOR® Party resources.
• Ohio Association of REALTORS®coreGTM or Marketing PartnerACAR membership includes Ohio Association of REALTORS® membership, which offers lobbying, research, legal help, current real estate information, and member discounts on products and services.
• Cuyahoga County Planning CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly funder and collaborator in the Cuyahoga County Unified Zoning Code initiative. ACAR CEO Mike Valerino committed to sharing members' market expertise throughout the stakeholder engagement process to improve housing attainability, affordability, and supply.
• Cuyahoga Land BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly funder of the Unified Zoning Code initiative, working with Cuyahoga County Planning Commission to modernize zoning standards and unlock development opportunities across 59 jurisdictions.
• Habitat for Humanity BarbertonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for annual REALTORS® Give Back Day as part of Habitat for Humanity's Barberton Reborn 2026 initiative. Volunteers work on home improvement projects to support neighborhood revitalization.
• Congresswoman Shontel BrownminorGTM or Marketing PartnerACAR participated in Congresswoman Shontel Brown's Housing Expo, an event connecting residents with housing resources. The expo brought together housing professionals, nonprofits, government agencies, and community partners.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Detroit Association of REALTORS: Michigan regional REALTOR association offering the same NAR triple-affiliation, professional development, and policy advocacy structure as ACAR.
• Indianapolis Board of REALTORS (MIBOR): Indiana's largest local REALTOR association with membership, education, and MLS services; comparable in scale to ACAR but additionally operates the regional MLS, providing a useful comparison for service scope.
• Greater Pittsburgh Association of REALTORS: Mid-Atlantic regional REALTOR association offering membership, CE, advocacy, and MLS-related services; comparable in scale and operating model to ACAR.
• Dayton REALTORS: Regional Ohio REALTOR association with similar membership tiers, professional development, and policy advocacy; serves a comparable mid-size Ohio metro with overlapping member profiles.
• Columbus REALTORS: Local REALTOR association serving central Ohio with comparable membership dues, CE/designation programs, advocacy, and affiliate tiers; ACAR's most direct in-state peer by structure and product mix.
• Greater Milwaukee Association of REALTORS: Midwest regional REALTOR association serving southeastern Wisconsin with comparable membership, CE, advocacy, and affiliate programs.
• Cincinnati Area Board of REALTORS: Southwest Ohio REALTOR trade association offering the same NAR/Ohio triple-affiliation, CE courses, and advocacy services as ACAR; directly comparable in scope and member categories.
• Buffalo Niagara Association of REALTORS: Upstate New York regional REALTOR association with similar membership tiers, CE/designation offerings, and advocacy focus; directly comparable to ACAR in scale and product mix.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of REALTORS: The national parent body whose affiliation ACAR bundles into local membership; sets CE/designation frameworks, advocacy positions, and code-of-ethics standards that ACAR delivers downstream.
• Chicago Association of REALTORS: Much larger Illinois REALTOR association operating in a major metro; serves as a scale benchmark showing how the ACAR model can expand with significantly more staff, programs, and member services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acarREALTORS
• Facebookfacebook.com/AkronClevelandRealtors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors