PREA Foundation

What PREA Foundation does

PREA Foundation is the charitable arm of the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA), a non-profit 501(c)(6) industry association incorporated in Connecticut and headquartered at 100 Pearl Street, 13th Floor, Hartford, CT. Founded in 1979, PREA serves institutional real estate investment professionals — including public and corporate pension funds, endowments, foundations, Taft-Hartley plans, investment managers, investment consultants, and academics — through a membership-driven platform built around research, education, events, and publications. The Foundation specifically operates the association's scholarship, diversity career pipeline, and talent-development initiatives.

PREA's core operations comprise (i) research products, including the MSCI/PREA US Property Fund Index, the annual PREA Investment Intentions Survey, the Compendium of Statistics, and targeted research reports; (ii) publications such as the PREA Quarterly Magazine and sponsored special issues of the Journal of Portfolio Management; (iii) educational programming through the PREA Institute at major universities and a recurring webinar series; (iv) two major annual conferences (the Spring Conference and the 36th Annual Institutional Investor Conference), the invitation-only CEO Leadership Forum, and regional summits such as the Rising Leaders Summer Socials; and (v) awards and fellowships including the PREA Real Estate Investment Sustainability Awards, the Graaskamp Research Award, the Koza Leadership Fellows Program, and the PREA-Toigo Foundation Fellows Grant.

The association's technology footprint is non-commercial: a member mobile app, the prea.org website, and webinar/email infrastructure used to deliver content to members. PREA is not building software products or AI systems. Revenue is generated from three streams — organizational membership dues, tiered conference and event registration fees (ranging from $153 for academic or early-bird non-profit institutional investors to $2,341 for standard corporate registrants), and publication and advertising revenue — and is supplemented by philanthropic grants, including a $1 million, five-year commitment from Ambrose to fund 50 internship scholarships annually through 2030. Governance is led by a Board of Directors (with co-chairs Isabelle Martin and W. Jeffrey Beckham) and CEO Zoe Hughes.

Name

PREA Foundation

Legal name

Pension Real Estate Association, Inc.

Website

https://prea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Short description

PREA Foundation is the charitable arm of the Pension Real Estate Association, a non-profit 501(c)(6) industry association founded in 1979 and headquartered in Hartford, CT, serving institutional real estate investors, managers, and consultants through research, conferences, publications, and scholarship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support (EDAMAKAF)

Keywords

• Institutional real estate association
• Commercial real estate research
• Real estate investment networking
• Pension fund conferences
• Real estate education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartford

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: PREA generates revenue from organizational membership fees. Institutional investors, investment managers, consultants, and other industry professionals join as members to access PREA's research, publications, events, and networking programs.
2. Conference and event registration fees: PREA charges registration fees for its major conferences (Spring Conference, Annual Institutional Investor Real Estate Conference), regional summits, webinars, and the PREA Institute. Fees vary by registrant type (corporate, institutional investor, academic).
3. Publication and advertising revenue: PREA publishes the PREA Quarterly Magazine and supports the Journal of Portfolio Management special real estate issues. Revenue is generated through advertising and publication sales.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PREA Foundation, affiliated with the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA), is a non-profit charitable entity that funds scholarships, fellowships, and grants to build a diversity career pipeline into the institutional real estate investment industry. Through the broader PREA association, members receive access to industry surveys, research reports, the MSCI/PREA US Property Fund Index, the PREA Quarterly Magazine, webinars, two major annual conferences, and the PREA Institute educational program.

Product overview

PREA (Pension Real Estate Association) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) industry association serving institutional real estate investment professionals. It operates as a platform offering member services, educational programs, research publications, awards, and conferences. The core offerings include the PREA Quarterly Magazine, PREA Webinars, and PREA Research Reports for industry insights; the PREA Institute for academic-professional education; and various awards programs (PREA Real Estate Investment Sustainability Awards, PREA James A. Graaskamp Research Award, John W. Koza Leadership Fellows Program, PREA-Toigo Foundation Fellows Grant). Additional offerings include the MSCI/PREA US Property Fund Index benchmark, Compendium of Statistics, Member Directory, Career Center, and major conferences including the Spring Conference, Annual Institutional Investor Conference, and CEO Leadership Forum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PREA Quarterly Magazine
• PREA Webinars
• PREA Research Reports
• PREA Industry Surveys (Investment Intentions Survey)
• PREA Institute
• MSCI/PREA US Property Fund Index
• Compendium of Statistics
• Spring and Annual Institutional Investor Conference
• CEO Leadership Forum
• Ambrose x PREA Foundation Opportunity Scholarship Program
• John W. Koza Leadership Fellows Program
• PREA-Toigo Foundation Fellows Grant
• PREA Real Estate Investment Sustainability Awards
• PREA James A. Graaskamp Research Award

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AmbrosecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmbrose, a vertically integrated real estate investment manager, partnered with the PREA Foundation to launch the 'Ambrose x PREA Foundation Opportunity Scholarship Program.' The five-year initiative is backed by a $1 million commitment from Ambrose and will fund 50 internship scholarships annually through 2030 for the next generation of commercial real estate professionals. The inaugural class is expected to be announced in spring 2026.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CFA Institute: CFA Institute is a global professional association for investment management professionals offering credentials, research, and education. Comparable to PREA Foundation as a membership-based investment professional organization but with a broader scope beyond real estate.

Direct peers

• AFIRE (Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate): AFIRE is an international organization of institutional real estate investors from outside the US. Comparable to PREA Foundation as an association of institutional real estate investors producing research and hosting conferences, though with an international membership focus.
• ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers): ICSC serves the retail real estate industry globally with membership, events, and research. Comparable to PREA Foundation as a real estate trade association hosting major conferences and producing industry research for institutional participants.
• NAREIT (National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts): NAREIT is the leading US trade association for REITs and publicly traded real estate companies. It is comparable to PREA Foundation as a real estate industry association serving institutional investors and managers with research, events, and policy advocacy.
• The Counselors of Real Estate: The Counselors of Real Estate is an international organization of real estate advisors serving institutional investors. Comparable to PREA Foundation as a membership organization focused on institutional real estate advisory, research, and credentialing.
• NAIOP: NAIOP is the commercial real estate development industry's leading trade association. It is comparable to PREA Foundation as a real estate association offering conferences, research, and advocacy for institutional investors and developers in commercial property.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI): ULI is a global research and education organization focused on land use and real estate development. Comparable to PREA Foundation as a real estate membership organization providing research, conferences, and professional development across institutional and developer audiences.
• Toigo Foundation: Toigo Foundation focuses on increasing diversity in real estate investment management through scholarships and leadership development. It is a direct peer and partner of PREA Foundation via the joint PREA-Toigo Foundation Fellows Grant supporting diverse talent in the industry.
• CREFC (Commercial Real Estate Finance Council): CREFC is the trade association for commercial real estate capital markets, including debt and equity finance. Comparable to PREA Foundation as a real estate finance industry association serving institutional investors, lenders, and intermediaries.

Emerging players

• Real Estate Research Institute (RERI): RERI produces academic and applied research on real estate investment and is referenced by PREA in its content library. Comparable as a real estate research-focused organization but smaller and more research-specialized than PREA Foundation's full association scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pension-real-estate-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about PREA Foundation