Greater Nashville Apartment Association

What Greater Nashville Apartment Association does

The Greater Nashville Apartment Association (GNAA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1968 to serve the multifamily rental housing industry in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. It represents more than 174,000 units managed by member companies and over 430 supplier member businesses, and is a dual affiliate of the National Apartment Association (NAA) and the Tennessee Apartment Association (TNAA). The association operates through four core tenets — Advocacy, Communication, Education, and Outreach — and its product portfolio centers on a recurring membership program supplemented by signature events (Trade Show, Awards Gala, Golf Tournament, Beer Butts & BBQ, Apartment Tour, and various networking luncheons), professional development programs (LEAD, Leadership Lyceum, GNAA Mentorship Program, in-person and online courses, scholarships, and NAA's Visto online learning), a monthly News & Events Magazine, an advertising and sponsorship business, a GIS-based Market Survey, a mobile app, member directory, room/office rentals, and the NBC PAC political action committee fundraising for Metro Council elections.

GNAA runs on a lean operation of 1–10 employees headquartered at 2 International Plaza, Suite 201, Nashville, TN, with delivery supported by Novi AMS as the association management platform. Its revenue model is multi-stream: recurring membership dues from property management companies and supplier businesses (subscription/recurring), event registration and education course fees (professional services), News & Events magazine and event sponsorship advertising (advertising), and pass-through political contributions (NBC PAC). Pricing is tiered across member vs. non-member rates and across PAC donor categories ($25–$2,500 suggested amounts). Customer segments are split between primary property management company members (operator demand-side) and supplier members (vendor supply-side, the larger cohort by count at 430+), with renters as a tertiary audience consuming educational resources rather than paying members.

Governance is by Board of Directors with approval over membership applications; leadership is led by President Ginny Johnson (11-year tenure, also overseeing TNAA operations), supported by Directors of Communications (Lauren High), Membership & Finance (Autumn Stiles), and Education and Events (Haley Smith, joined September 2024). The association has led NAA affiliates in net supplier growth between April 2023 and April 2024 and has received the 2024 NAA Affiliate Net Supplier Growth Leader award alongside internal Chairman's Awards in 2015 and 2022.

Name

Greater Nashville Apartment Association

Legal name

Greater Nashville Apartment Association

Website

https://gnaa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Greater Nashville Apartment Association is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1968, serving the rental housing industry in Nashville and Middle Tennessee through advocacy, education, networking events, and resources for property managers and supplier members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Compliance, Governance & Board Support Services (BPAJAHAN)

Keywords

• Trade association services
• Multifamily housing advocacy
• Rental industry education
• Property management networking
• Apartment association membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: GNAA generates revenue through membership fees from property management companies and supplier businesses. The association represents more than 174,000 units and has over 430 supplier member businesses.
2. Event Registration and Education: Revenue generated from event registrations, educational courses, and professional development programs. Events include Trade Shows, Awards Galas, manager and maintenance luncheons, and certification courses.
3. NBC PAC Donations: The association facilitates political donations through its NBC PAC (Nashville Better Candidates Political Action Committee) with suggested donation amounts ranging from $25 to $2,500.
4. Advertising & Sponsorships: Revenue from advertising in the News & Events magazine and banner ads, as well as sponsorship packages for events and education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Greater Nashville Apartment Association (GNAA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1968 that delivers membership-based services to the rental housing industry in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Its offerings center on four pillars — Advocacy, Communication, Education, and Outreach — and include legislative representation, professional education courses and certifications, networking events and signature gatherings (Trade Show, Awards Gala, Golf Tournament), a member directory, advertising and sponsorship opportunities, and a GIS-based market survey.

Product overview

GNAA operates as an apartment association providing a membership-based platform with multiple interconnected services. The core offering is its membership program supporting over 174,000 units and 430+ supplier members. The product portfolio centers on four strategic pillars: Advocacy (legislative representation through NAA and TNAA affiliations), Communication (News & Events Magazine, Blog, Mobile App), Education (GNAA Education Curriculum, LEAD Program, Leadership Lyceum, Mentorship Program, Online Learning via Visto-NAA, Webinars, and Scholarships), and Outreach (signature events including Trade Show, Awards Gala, Apartment Tour, and various networking events). Additional offerings include a Member Directory, Market Survey GIS tool, Advertising & Sponsorships, and room rentals. The association also facilitates political engagement through NBC PAC donations and community service via the Fifty Forward Angel Tree program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GNAA Membership Program Core membership product providing access to advocacy, education, networking events, member directory, and resources for rental housing industry professionals. Represents more than 174,000 units and over 430 supplier member businesses.
• GNAA Education Curriculum

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• National Apartment Association (NAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGNAA is an affiliate of the National Apartment Association. This partnership provides members with access to national resources, advocacy efforts, industry events like Apartmentalize, and the NAA Advocate program. GNAA maintains a leadership position among NAA affiliates, having led in net supplier growth from April 2023 to April 2024.
• Tennessee Apartment Association (TNAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGNAA is an affiliate of the Tennessee Apartment Association, providing a state-level network and resources for members in the rental housing industry across Tennessee.
• Novi AMSsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGNAA uses Novi AMS (Association Management Software) as its platform for website, membership management, event registration, and online store functionality.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Apartment Association of Greater Philadelphia: Regional NAA affiliate serving the Philadelphia multifamily rental market with a comparable membership, events, advocacy, and education model. Directly comparable structure and revenue mix to GNAA.
• Apartment Association of Greater Dallas: Regional NAA affiliate serving the Dallas-Fort Worth multifamily market. Comparable scale and product mix — membership dues, trade shows, education, and advocacy — and a useful benchmark for GNAA's growth trajectory.
• Houston Apartment Association: One of the largest regional NAA affiliates, serving the Houston multifamily market. Comparable offerings (membership, trade show, education, advocacy) and a useful benchmark for supplier-side growth.
• Atlanta Apartment Association: Regional NAA affiliate covering the Atlanta metro, a high-growth Sun Belt market analogous to Nashville. Closely comparable business model and member demographics to GNAA.
• Tennessee Apartment Association (TNAA): The state-level apartment association for Tennessee, sharing the same President (Ginny Johnson) with GNAA and providing overlapping member services across the state. Closest functional peer given shared leadership and complementary geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association): National trade association for commercial real estate developers, owners, and investors. While focused on commercial rather than multifamily, it offers overlapping advocacy, education, and networking services and competes for the same corporate member mindshare.
• National Apartment Association (NAA): The national umbrella trade association for the U.S. rental housing industry. GNAA is a direct NAA affiliate, making NAA the closest structural peer at the national level for advocacy, education, and credentialing programs (Apartmentalize, Visto, NAAEI designations).

Others

• Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International: Trade association for commercial office and industrial real estate, offering parallel membership, advocacy, and education services. Less direct overlap with multifamily but adjacent industry structure and business model.

Regional players

• Apartment Association of California (AACSC): State-level apartment association serving California. Comparable trade association mission but operates in a more regulated market, making it a useful peer for understanding regulatory risk exposure for GNAA.

Emerging players

• Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM): International association for residential and commercial real estate managers offering credentials (AMO, ARM, CPM) that overlap with NAA's credentialing programs. Comparable member-facing education and certification model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GNAATN
• Xx.com/gnaatn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greater-nashville-apartment-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Greater Nashville Apartment Association