Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut

What Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut does

Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut (REFA), founded in 1987 and headquartered in Bloomfield, CT, is a non-profit professional membership association serving commercial real estate finance professionals in Connecticut. It operates through two chapters — Hartford and Fairfield/Westchester — and serves more than 500 individual members drawn from banks, REITs, insurance companies, investment banks, mortgage bankers, investors and advisors, pension fund advisors, developers, attorneys, appraisers, and consultants active in the Connecticut real estate finance market. Its mission is to facilitate industry information exchange, continuing education, and peer networking through programming, charitable work, and community-building.

REFA's product portfolio centers on an annual Standard Membership ($300/individual, 12-month term), a Young Professionals Network for members under 40 (50% discounted first-year dues at $125 with free program passes), an online Member Job Board, and a searchable membership directory. Members gain access to more than 50 specialized breakfast and lunch programs per year (including The State of the Market and Capital Markets Update) featuring economists from Fairfield University, Webster Financial Group, Moody's Analytics, the Center for Real Estate at UConn, and Torto-Wheaton, plus seasonal cocktail receptions and an annual charity golf outing that has raised more than $50,000 since 2004. Sponsorship tiers ($1,500 single-chapter; $2,750 REFA-Wide) provide institutional supporters with free memberships, guest passes, banner placement, and website visibility.

The business model is a community-led, subscription-recurring association: individual member dues form the core revenue, complemented by tiered corporate sponsorships and ancillary fees such as the $20 Young Professional non-member event admission. Go-to-market is primarily in-person via chapter events, supplemented by owned digital channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, email newsletter) and a self-serve website (refact.org). No revenue figure, headcount trend, or external funding is disclosed; the organization operates as an independent Connecticut non-profit with no parent company, private equity, or institutional backing, governed by a board drawn from member firms.

Name

Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut

Legal name

Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut, Inc.

Website

http://www.refact.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut is a non-profit organization that gives property investment and building management services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomfield

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. Individual Memberships: Annual membership fees of $300 per individual, covering 12 months from join date. Provides access to networking events, educational programs, membership directory, and job board posting.
2. Chapter Sponsorships: Chapter sponsorship for Hartford or Fairfield/Westchester at $1,500 annually. Includes one free individual membership, five free guest tickets to regular programs, company name visibility on flyers/brochages, banner placement, and website link.
3. REFA-Wide Sponsorships: Full sponsorship covering both Hartford and Fairfield/Westchester chapters at $2,750 annually. Includes two free individual memberships and ten free guest tickets to regular programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

REFA is a non-profit professional membership association that sells individual memberships and chapter sponsorships to commercial real estate finance professionals in Connecticut. In return, members receive access to 50+ annual specialized educational programs (e.g., State of the Market, Capital Markets Update), networking events across Hartford and Fairfield/Westchester chapters, a searchable membership directory, and an online job board. Sponsorship tiers provide additional brand visibility and complimentary event passes for member firms.

Product overview

REFA operates as a professional membership association offering a unified platform for Connecticut real estate finance professionals. The core offering is the Standard Membership program, complemented by the Young Professionals Network (for members under 40) and the Member Job Board. Sponsorship tiers (Chapter Sponsorship at $1,500 and REFA-Wide Sponsorship at $2,750) provide enhanced visibility and access. All members gain access to over 50 annual educational programs, networking events, and an online membership directory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Individual Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $50,000 raised for Habitat for Humanity and local food banks through annual golf outing since 2004

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association): National trade association for CRE developers, owners, and investors with regional chapters offering similar networking, education, and advocacy. Directly competes for the same Connecticut CRE professional audience REFA serves, but at national scale with substantially larger programming budget.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI): Global real estate and land use research and education organization with district councils in major markets. Overlaps with REFA on real estate finance education, networking events, and member benefits but operates at significantly larger scale with a broader land-use focus.
• Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA): National association representing the real estate finance industry including commercial and multifamily lending. Competes for institutional lender members with REFA's bank and mortgage banker constituents but operates as a national advocacy and education body.
• ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers): Global trade association for the retail real estate industry. Several REFA board members and sponsors (Regency Centers, HB Nitkin) operate in ICSC's domain; competes for retail-focused members' attention and sponsorship dollars with larger national programming.
• BOMA International (Building Owners and Managers Association): International trade association for commercial real estate building owners, managers, and developers. Provides networking and education overlapping with REFA's value proposition but focuses on property operations rather than finance.

Direct peers

• CRE Finance Council: Industry association specifically for the commercial real estate finance community - the most direct functional competitor to REFA. Hosts conferences, networking events, and educational programs for CRE debt and equity capital markets professionals nationwide.
• SIOR (Society of Industrial and Office Realtors): Professional designation society for industrial and office real estate brokers with local chapters and networking events. REFA Past President Mark Duclos is a former SIOR Global President, reflecting overlap in leadership and member base in the brokerage community.
• CCIM Institute: Designation and education body for commercial investment real estate professionals offering networking, technology tools (CCIM designations), and chapter events. Competes for the same investor, broker, and advisor audience that REFA serves at a Connecticut regional level.
• Appraisal Institute: Global professional association of real estate appraisers offering designation, education, and chapter networking. Several REFA members and board leaders are appraisers (e.g., Timothy Mitchell, Elm Realty Advisors), making this an adjacent peer organization serving a constituent overlap.

Others

• IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management): International association for real estate management professionals serving property managers with certification and education. Adjacent rather than direct peer, but overlaps with REFA's broader Connecticut CRE ecosystem through management-side members and shared sponsor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/real-estate-finance-association-of-ct
• Facebookfacebook.com/RealEstateFinanceAssociationCT
• Xx.com/refa_ct

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 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 Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut