Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association

Real Estate Investment Association Servicesnicia.org

NICIA is a regional Real Estate Investment Association founded in 2003 in Merrillville, Indiana, serving over 200 individual real estate investors, landlords, and vendors across Northwest Indiana, greater Chicago, and southwest Michigan through monthly meetings, networking, and a member web platform.

Company typePrivate
Founded2003
HeadquartersMerrillville, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association does

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association (NICIA) is a regional Real Estate Investment Association (REIA) founded in August 2003 in Merrillville, Indiana, serving individual real estate investors, landlords, vendors, and contractors in the greater Chicago metropolitan area — including Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties of Indiana, Cook and Will counties of Illinois, and southwest Michigan. The organization now claims over 200 members and operates as a community-driven, word-of-mouth association whose primary deliverable is the monthly main meeting (held on the second Thursday at Conduit Advisers, Merrillville), supplemented by sub-group events such as Gary GOAL$ and Women in Real Estate.

NICIA's core offerings are educational meetings with guest speakers, networking, vendor partnerships, and a web-based member platform powered by Real Estate Promo. The platform provides property listings, a member directory, event registration, financial calculators (MAO, mortgage, rental property analyzer), a Property Analyzer Tools suite (repair estimates, offer generator, seller net sheet), and a tiered personal website builder (free, $5.95/month ad-free, $34.95/month Premium). Integrations include TurboTenant for tenant screening and Solupay Consulting for PCI DSS-compliant payment processing. The organization is governed by a board of directors (President Joe Peterson, Vice President Kris Clymer, Treasurer Jon McCarter, with functional leads for Membership, Programming, Events, and Vendors) and there is no external institutional ownership or venture backing.

NICIA generates revenue through annual membership dues ($100 individual, $150 partner, $200 vendor), event registration fees ($20 non-member main meetings; $85-$100 for special events), premium website subscriptions, educational product sales (e.g., $797-$997 course packages), and vendor sponsorship. The organization's distribution is regional, its technology is wholly third-party, and its growth is organic and community-led rather than venture-backed or acquisitive.

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association
Legal name: Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association
Website: https://nicia.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2003
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: NICIA is a regional Real Estate Investment Association founded in 2003 in Merrillville, Indiana, serving over 200 individual real estate investors, landlords, and vendors across Northwest Indiana, greater Chicago, and southwest Michigan through monthly meetings, networking, and a member web platform.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association industry classification

Industry

Product category: Real Estate Investment Association Services
NAICS: Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)
SIC: Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
akta.pro industry: PRIMARYBPAJANAA
Real Estate Investment Advisory (Acquisitions/Dispositions, Capital Allocation)
Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Advisory & Consulting (Investment, Strategy)
SECONDARYFSAEAJAN
Property Management Advisory & Leasing Administration
Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Real Estate Advisory & Brokerage

Keywords

Real estate investing
Investment association
Property networking
Investor education
Real estate community

Where Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Merrillville
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $100 for Individual Annual to $200 for Vendor Annual membership. These provide recurring revenue and access to monthly meetings, networking, and member resources.
Event Registration Fees: Non-members pay $20 for monthly main meetings while members attend free. Special events like wine tastings cost $85 for members and $100 for non-members.
Premium Website Services: Members can upgrade to paid website plans - Basic Ad-Free at $5.95/month or Premium PAT at $34.95/month with setup fees. These are upsells for members wanting enhanced web presence.
Educational Products and Courses: Sells educational products including Pete Youngs Rehab Package ($997), Mr. Landlord package ($795), and vendor sponsorship opportunities.
Vendor Partnerships: Vendor annual membership at $200 and vendor sponsorship opportunities at events generate revenue from service providers targeting real estate investors.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Individual Annual Membership
Subscription	Annual	Partner Annual Membership
Subscription	Annual	Vendor Annual Membership
Other	Pay-as-you-go	Monthly Main Meeting - Non-Member
Other	Pay-as-you-go	Women in Real Estate Wine Tasting Event
Subscription	Monthly	Basic Website (Ad-Free)
Subscription	Monthly	Premium Website with PAT
Freemium	Monthly	Basic Free Website Plan

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association product offering

Product offering

Core offering

NICIA operates a Real Estate Investment Association providing members with monthly educational meetings, networking events, and digital tools for analyzing and managing real estate deals. Its services include Property Analyzer Tools (PAT), personal investor websites, financial calculators, a property listing platform, a member directory, and community-based learning resources for individual investors, landlords, and vendors in Northwest Indiana and the greater Chicago area.

Product overview

NICIA offers a real estate investment association platform focused on education, networking, and community investment. The core offering is the monthly main meeting with guest speakers, supplemented by Property Analyzer Tools (a premium add-on with repair estimates and offer generators), Personal Websites (member-facing property listing and lead generation sites in three tiers), and Financial Calculators (MAO, Mortgage, and Rental Property Analyzer). Additional offerings include Home Study Courses, Gary GOAL$ landlord events, Women in Real Estate networking events, New Member Q&A sessions, a Member Directory, Property Listings platform, and Vendor Partner Program. The organization is powered by Real Estate Promo technology platform and integrates with TurboTenant for tenant screening services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Monthly Main Meetings Regular monthly in-person meetings featuring guest speakers, open discussions, vendor presentations, and networking opportunities for real estate investors. Held every second Thursday at Conduit Advisers in Merrillville, Indiana; non-members pay $20 per meeting while members attend free.
Property Analyzer Tools (PAT)

Quantifiable outcome

Over 200 active investor members in the greater Chicago metropolitan area
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Conduit AdviserscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Conduit Advisers provides the meeting venue for NICIA's monthly main meetings. Located at 7430 Broadway, Merrillville, Indiana 46410, this partnership enables NICIA to hold regular in-person events for its membership.
Real Estate PromocoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the web platform powering NICIA's website including member management, event registration, property listings, and personal website builder tools. An Independent REIA Powered by Real Estate Promo.
TurboTenantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTenant screening vendor partner advertised on NICIA's website. Provides rental screening, credit checks, and eviction record lookups for landlords and property investors.
Habitat for HumanityminorOthersCommunity outreach partner. NICIA members volunteer with Habitat for Humanity on home building and renovation projects in Gary, Indiana as part of the organization's giving back mission.
Salvation Army Angel TreeminorOthersAnnual holiday giving partnership. NICIA adopts families through the Salvation Army Angel Tree program, matching member donations dollar-for-dollar to provide holiday gifts to families in need.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Others

TurboTenant: Tenant screening and landlord tool provider integrated into NICIA's website as a vendor partner. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler offering financial calculators and tenant screening functionality that overlaps with NICIA's premium tools.
Real Estate Investment Clubs (REIC) Directory: Online directory of local real estate investment clubs and associations across the U.S. Comparable as an aggregator in the same ecosystem that NICIA operates within, useful for understanding peer associations in adjacent metros.
Real Estate Promo: Technology platform provider that powers NICIA's website, member management, property listings, and website builder tools. Comparable as the underlying infrastructure that enables many independent REIAs to operate, and a key dependency/partner for NICIA's digital offerings.

Regional players

Chicago Real Estate Investors Association: Regional REIA serving the greater Chicago metro with monthly meetings, education, and networking for real estate investors. Directly comparable model and overlapping geographic footprint with NICIA's Illinois members (Cook and Will Counties).
Metro Detroit Real Estate Investors Association: Regional REIA serving Metro Detroit with education and networking for real estate investors. Comparable to NICIA in structure, mission, and Midwest regional focus, though serving a different metro market.
Indianapolis Real Estate Investors Association: Indiana-based regional REIA providing monthly meetings, education, and networking for real estate investors. Comparable to NICIA as a peer Indiana REIA with similar membership structure and community-driven GTM.

Emerging players

BiggerPockets: Largest online community and platform for real estate investors, offering forums, podcasts, calculators, and tools that overlap with NICIA's member benefits. Comparable because it serves the same investor persona with education, deal analysis tools, and networking, but at much greater scale and fully digital.

Direct peers

National Real Estate Investors Association (National REIA): National umbrella organization for independent local REIAs like NICIA. Directly comparable as the parent federation that charters and supports regional real estate investor associations with similar membership, education, and networking models.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance1 record

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association

What does Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association do?

Is Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association a public or private company?

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.

When was Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association founded?

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association was founded in 2003. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association based?

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association is headquartered in Merrillville, United States, in the North America region.

How does Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are event Registration Fees, premium Website Services, educational Products and Courses and vendor Partnerships.

Who are Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association's main competitors?

Others on record are TurboTenant, Real Estate Investment Clubs (REIC) Directory and Real Estate Promo. Regional players are Chicago Real Estate Investors Association, Metro Detroit Real Estate Investors Association and Indianapolis Real Estate Investors Association. BiggerPockets is listed as an emerging player. National Real Estate Investors Association (National REIA) is listed as a direct peer.

Does Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association have an API?

No public API is recorded for Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association.

What industry is Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association in?

Northwest Indiana Creative Investors Association's product category is Real Estate Investment Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJANAA, Real Estate Investment Advisory (Acquisitions/Dispositions, Capital Allocation), with a secondary code of FSAEAJAN, Property Management Advisory & Leasing Administration. Its NAICS code is 5312 and its SIC code is 8600.