NAIOP SoCal

What NAIOP SoCal does

NAIOP SoCal is the Southern California chapter of NAIOP, the national commercial real estate (CRE) trade association, operating as a 501(c)(6) non-profit headquartered in Santa Ana, California. Founded in 1979, the chapter serves members across Orange and Los Angeles counties, representing approximately 1,300 individual members drawn from 500+ firms spanning development, brokerage, capital markets, law, and property operations. Its core offering is a membership and events platform that delivers networking, education, advocacy, and industry recognition to CRE professionals across the SoCal market.

The organization's revenue model rests on four pillars: professional membership dues (individual and corporate tiers), corporate sponsorships (structured in Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers with logos publicly listed — Prologis, JLL, Bank of America, Allen Matkins, DWS, JP Morgan, Link Industrial at Diamond; CBRE, Newmark, Trammell Crow, Rexford Industrial at Platinum/Gold), event revenue (Night at the Fights reportedly draws ~1,000 attendees; Awards Gala, breakfast series, and specialty events), and ancillary services such as a job board. A student membership tier ($60/year) extends the funnel into universities. Operations are supported by a small central staff and a network of volunteer committees, with an active board reflecting annual leadership transitions.

NAIOP SoCal's strategic posture combines member services with direct legislative advocacy in Sacramento. The chapter employs a dedicated Government Relations Manager and maintains an active policy agenda — most recently securing passage of AB 2904 and opposing AB 1777 and SB 789 (warehouse-related measures). It has expanded its content footprint through the CREative Connections Podcast (a partnership with Connect Media), and it invests in long-term talent pipelines via the OC Real Estate Challenge (Chapman University vs. UC Irvine, 5th annual in April 2026) and the Artemis Real Estate Summer Enrichment Program. The chapter is reported to be among the largest NAIOP chapters in North America.

Name

NAIOP SoCal

Legal name

NAIOP SoCal

Website

https://naiopsocal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NAIOP SoCal is a non-profit CRE trade association serving 1,300+ members across 500+ firms in Orange and Los Angeles counties via membership dues, sponsorships, events, and Sacramento advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK), Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate association
• Trade association services
• Real estate networking
• Legislative advocacy
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Ana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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: Annual membership fees for commercial real estate professionals. Student membership is $60/year for qualifying students.
2. Chapter Sponsorships: Over 90 chapter sponsors including Diamond, Platinum, and Gold tiers. Sponsors include major CRE firms like CBRE, JLL, Prologis, Bank of America, etc.
3. Job Board Posting: Free job postings for NAIOP SoCal member companies. Non-members pay $25/week per job posting for internships, externships, and job opportunities.
4. Event Revenue: Revenue from hallmark events including Night at the Fights (pricing at $700/individual, $7,000/table for members), Awards Gala, and Real Estate Challenges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NAIOP SoCal is a non-profit trade association that sells annual membership and corporate sponsorships to commercial real estate professionals and firms in Southern California. Members and sponsors gain access to networking events, legislative advocacy, the NAIOP-U educational program, the Job Board, hallmark events (Night at the Fights, Awards Gala, LA and OC Real Estate Challenges), the Young Professionals Group (YPG), and mentorship opportunities. Revenue is generated through membership dues, tiered sponsorships (Diamond, Platinum, Gold), paid event tickets, and transaction fees on non-member job postings.

Product overview

NAIOP SoCal is a trade association for commercial real estate professionals, not a technology company. Its offerings consist of membership programs, sponsorship opportunities, educational initiatives (NAIOP-U and certificate programs), hallmark events (Awards Gala, Night at the Fights, Real Estate Challenges with UCLA/USC and Chapman/UCI), the CREative Connections podcast, Young Professionals Group (YPG), Mentorship Program, Job Board, Student Resources, and Legislative Advocacy services. The organization serves Orange and Los Angeles counties with over 1,200 members and operates as the premier commercial real estate association in Southern California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NAIOP SoCal Membership Annual membership program for commercial real estate professionals in Southern California providing access to networking events, educational programs, legislative advocacy, the Member Hub portal, the Job Board, hallmark events, and industry resources. Serves developers, owners, investors, and related CRE professionals in Orange and Los Angeles Counties.
• NAIOP SoCal Corporate Sponsorship Program Tiered corporate sponsorship program (Diamond, Platinum, Gold) for CRE firms providing prominent brand visibility at hallmark events, the Awards Gala, and Real Estate Challenges, plus access to 1,300+ members. The chapter has 90+ corporate sponsors including CBRE, JLL, Prologis, Bank of America, JP Morgan, Allen Matkins, DWS, Link Industrial, Newmark, Trammell Crow, and Rexford Industrial.
• NAIOP-U Education Programs Educational programming for CRE professionals including the NAIOP-U series of seminars and online certificate programs designed to maximize professional development in commercial real estate.
• Young Professionals Group (YPG) Professional development program for young CRE professionals featuring networking events, legislative affairs committee involvement, social committees, community outreach, mentorship, and a structured curriculum with graduation requirements.
• NAIOP SoCal Mentorship Program Mentorship initiative connecting experienced CRE professionals with mentees seeking career guidance and development.
• NAIOP SoCal Job Board Online career opportunities platform for CRE professionals. Job postings are free for NAIOP SoCal member companies; non-members pay $25/week per posting for internships, externships, and job opportunities.
• Night at the Fights Annual premier networking black-tie gala featuring professional boxing and MMA bouts, casino games, live entertainment, and a cigar lounge. Attracts approximately 1,000 CRE industry professionals annually. Ticket pricing: Member $700/individual or $7,000/table; Non-Member $825/individual or $8,250/table.
• NAIOP SoCal Awards Gala Annual industry awards ceremony recognizing excellence in commercial real estate, including Hall of Fame inductions and the Public Partner of the Year award, held each May.
• LA Real Estate Challenge Annual competition between UCLA and USC graduate student teams to develop the highest and best use for a commercial real estate site, with a 23+ year history. Audience typically 200+ people.
• Orange County Real Estate Challenge Annual competition between Chapman University and UC Irvine graduate student teams to develop real estate proposals, with the winning team taking the Orange Cup.
• NAIOP SoCal Legislative Advocacy Public policy advocacy representing commercial real estate interests through tracking legislation, testimony, coalition building, a Political Action Committee, and a Legislative Affairs Committee engaging the California State Legislature and Sacramento on issues affecting the CRE industry in Southern California.
• NAIOP SoCal Student Membership Student membership priced at $60/year providing access to National and SoCal Chapter events, programs, and benefits including educational resources, networking opportunities, internships, and externships from member companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Night at the Fights attracts close to 1,000 industry professionals annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Connect MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint venture podcast 'CREative Connections' co-hosted by Tim Jemal (CEO NAIOP SoCal), Daniel Ceniceros (CEO/Found Connect Media), and Sarah Quinn (Executive Vice President & Cofounder, Connect Media) connecting with professionals shaping the commercial real estate industry
• Artemis Real Estate PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtemis Summer Enrichment Program created in 2013 to provide opportunities to diverse undergraduate students in commercial real estate. NAIOP SoCal connects students to this program. Since 2013, more than 290 students have participated, 87% from underrepresented groups. Nearly 50% have gone on to internships/jobs at firms like Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America.
• UCLA Anderson School of Business (Ziman Center of Real Estate)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate student teams from UCLA Ziman Center compete in annual LA Real Estate Challenge vs USC. UCLA won 2021 Silver Shovel with first all-female team.
• USC Marshall School of Business and Price School of Public Policy (Lusk Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate student teams from USC Lusk Center compete in annual LA Real Estate Challenge vs UCLA. Competition has 25+ year history.
• Chapman UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChapman University graduate student team won Orange Cup at 5th Annual NAIOP SoCal OC Real Estate Challenge (April 2026)
• University of California, IrvinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCI graduate student team participates in Orange County Real Estate Challenge. Won 2024 competition.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Urban Land Institute (ULI) Los Angeles: Another major CRE-focused membership organization with a Los Angeles district council offering networking, education, and policy programs. Competes for the same SoCal CRE member base and sponsorship dollars with overlapping value propositions.
• CCIM Institute Southern California Chapter: Designation-focused CRE association offering membership, education, and networking for commercial investment professionals. Comparable trade association model serving overlapping SoCal CRE professionals.
• NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area Chapter: Sibling NAIOP chapter serving Northern California commercial real estate professionals with the same membership, sponsorship, event, and advocacy model. Closest direct comparable peer given matching structure, services, and California-specific regulatory environment.
• BOMA Greater Los Angeles: Building Owners and Managers Association chapter serving LA commercial real estate with membership, advocacy, and education programs. Comparable trade association model with overlapping CRE member and sponsor pools.
• CoreNet Global Southern California Chapter: Trade association serving corporate real estate professionals with SoCal chapter presence, offering similar membership, educational programming, and networking events. Competes for enterprise CRE member firms in the same geography.
• CREW Network (Commercial Real Estate Women) Los Angeles: Industry organization focused on advancing women in commercial real estate with LA network offering events, mentorship, and sponsorship programs. Overlaps with NAIOP SoCal on member base, event programming, and sponsor relationships.

Broad incumbents

• ICSC (Innovating Commerce Serving Communities): International trade association for the retail real estate industry offering membership, events, and advocacy. Broader CRE scope but competes for overlapping retail and mixed-use real estate professionals in Southern California.
• NAIOP (National): Parent organization of NAIOP SoCal with 18,600+ members across North America. Operates the same trade association model at the national level, providing comparable membership, advocacy, and event programs but at a broader geographic scope.

Others

• Connect Media: Media partner of NAIOP SoCal on the CREative Connections podcast and SoCal CRE publication. Adjacent commercial real estate media company that shares audience and sponsorship relationships but operates as a content/media business rather than a trade association.

Regional players

• AIR CRE (American Industrial Real Estate Association): Southern California-based commercial real estate association historically focused on industrial properties with its own membership, MLS-like services, and events. Directly comparable in SoCal geography and overlapping member base, especially given NAIOP SoCal's industrial advocacy focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NAIOPSoCal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCH7urIxafJmDnWcyXEIoG7A?view_as=subscriber
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naiop-socal-chapter
• Instagraminstagram.com/naiop_socal
• Facebookfacebook.com/NAIOPSoCal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 NAIOP SoCal