Commercial Real Estate Alliance for Tomorrow's Employees (CREATE)

What Commercial Real Estate Alliance for Tomorrow's Employees (CREATE) does

CREATE (Commercial Real Estate Alliance for Tomorrow's Employees) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, California (235 Montgomery Street, Suite 920). The organization educates college students on commercial real estate fundamentals and connects career-ready graduates to CRE employers. Its primary beneficiaries are juniors, seniors, and graduate students at two- and four-year institutions, primarily across the San Francisco Bay Area and California; its employer-side stakeholders are commercial real estate companies seeking trained entry-level talent.

CREATE's core product is the 16-module, 32-hour CREATE Fellows Program, delivered in two formats: a two-semester in-person cohort at San Francisco State University and an online version (CREATE Fellows Online) accessible via Zoom to students from partner institutions including Chabot College, CSU East Bay, Diablo Valley College, Dominican University of California, Menlo College, Ohlone College, Saint Mary's College, and UCLA. Supporting offerings include a free career portal/job board (CREATE Career Center), an annual Mentor Match program, and an internship placement program. The underlying technology is minimal — standard web infrastructure for the job board and Zoom for online instruction — and CREATE is explicitly a workforce development organization rather than a technology company. Approximately 30% of graduates are reported hired directly into the CRE industry upon completion.

The business model is entirely donation-funded; CREATE charges no tuition to students or schools. Funding is sourced through a tiered donation structure (Signature $25,000, Champion $12,000, Contributing $7,500, Supporting $3,500, Friend $1,000, Fellows Alumni $50, Student $20). The founding alliance (since 2012) includes NAIOP SF Bay Area, BOMA San Francisco, BOMA Oakland/East Bay, and IREM SF, while the major-tier corporate donor base includes CBRE, Kilroy Realty Corporation, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, Lincoln Property Company, Salesforce, and Yardi. With 25 employees, a 13-year operating history, and the largest single cohort (60 students) launched in September 2025, CREATE occupies a small but established niche as a CRE-industry-funded talent pipeline nonprofit.

Name

Commercial Real Estate Alliance for Tomorrow's Employees (CREATE)

Legal name

Commercial Real Estate Alliance for Tomorrow's Employees

Website

https://createworkforce.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CREATE is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2012, that educates college students in commercial real estate fundamentals and connects graduates to CRE employers through a 16-module Fellows Program, mentorship, internships, and a free career portal, funded entirely by industry donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Workforce development programs
• Commercial real estate education
• Talent pipeline services
• Industry mentorship programs
• Nonprofit career training

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID #80-0757877), CREATE is sustained entirely by monetary contributions from industry employers, individual donors, and corporate sponsors. The organization does not charge tuition to students or schools for participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CREATE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization that educates college students on commercial real estate fundamentals through a 16-module, 32-hour curriculum delivered in-person at San Francisco State University and online via Zoom. It connects career-ready candidates to CRE employers via a free career portal, mentorship matching, and internship placement, with all programming funded by industry donations and offered at no cost to students or schools.

Product overview

CREATE is a workforce development organization operating as a single unified program focused on educating a diverse workforce and connecting career-ready candidates to employers in the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) industry. Its core offerings consist of the CREATE Fellows Program (available in-person at San Francisco State University and online), which provides a 16-module, 32-hour curriculum on CRE fundamentals. This is complemented by a Career Portal/Job Board for connecting students with employers, a Mentorship Program (Mentor Match), and an Internship Program. The programs are free to students, funded by corporate and individual donations from the CRE industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CREATE Fellows Program: 16-module, 32-hour curriculum facilitated by industry subject matter experts teaching fundamentals of commercial real estate.
• CREATE Fellows Online
• CREATE at SF State
• SFSU Certificate in Commercial Real Estate

Products and services

• CREATE Fellows Program A structured educational program providing 16 modules (32 hours) of commercial real estate fundamentals facilitated by industry subject matter experts, including mentoring, job shadowing, building tours, internships, and networking for college students.
• CREATE Career Portal / Job Board A free online job board connecting students with commercial real estate employers offering internships and entry-level positions, with free posting for employers.
• SFSU Certificate in Commercial Real Estate Industry-created certificate program at San Francisco State University offering commercial real estate-specific training, scholarships, mentorships, and internships.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% of students hired directly into the industry upon graduation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NAIOP SF Bay AreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Industry association partnership. NAIOP SF Bay Area is one of the founding alliance members of CREATE, supporting the commercial real estate workforce development mission since the organization's inception in 2012.
• BOMA San FranciscocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Building Owners and Managers Association San Francisco is a founding alliance member supporting CREATE's mission to educate diverse workforce and connect career-ready candidates to CRE employers.
• BOMA Oakland/East BaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Building Owners and Managers Association Oakland/East Bay is a founding alliance member of CREATE, providing industry support and connections for the workforce development program.
• IREM SF (Institute of Real Estate Management)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Institute of Real Estate Management San Francisco is a founding alliance member supporting CREATE's efforts to prepare job-ready candidates for the commercial real estate industry.
• San Francisco State University, College of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012SF State partnership began in 2012 with the Certificate in Commercial Real Estate program created by industry leaders. SF State provides on-campus instruction and student recruitment for the CREATE Fellows program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MIT Center for Real Estate: MIT's interdisciplinary center delivering real estate education, research, and industry engagement — comparable to CREATE in producing industry-ready CRE talent, though it operates at graduate level and within a top-tier university.
• Cornell Baker Program in Real Estate: Cornell University's premier undergraduate and graduate real estate education program with strong industry placement outcomes — comparable to CREATE in mission (CRE talent pipeline) but operating inside a university rather than as a standalone nonprofit.
• Project Destined: Nonprofit workforce development program offering real estate internships, mentorship, and education to underrepresented college students — a near-identical mission to CREATE's, making it the most direct comparable peer.
• USC Lusk Center for Real Estate: USC's research and education center for real estate providing industry-facing programs, mentorship, and career pipelines — directly comparable to CREATE in delivering CRE education and employer connections to students.

Broad incumbents

• CCIM Institute: Established commercial real estate education and credentialing organization serving industry professionals with designations and training — overlaps with CREATE's CRE training mission at a more advanced/professional level.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI): Global, established real estate education and research organization with member-supported programming including workforce development initiatives — a broader incumbent that overlaps with CREATE's mission of CRE education and career pathways.
• NAIOP: Leading U.S. commercial real estate industry association offering education, research, and workforce development programming — overlaps with CREATE's industry-alliance model, and is also a direct founding partner of CREATE's SF Bay Area chapter.
• CREW Network (Commercial Real Estate Women): Global industry organization with a strong focus on advancing women in commercial real estate through education, mentorship, and networking — comparable to CREATE's mentorship-driven career-pipeline mission but broader in scope.
• Appraisal Institute: Global professional association for real estate appraisers offering education, designations, and career development — overlaps with CREATE's mission of providing CRE career education and training, though focused specifically on the valuation discipline.

Regional players

• Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY): New York's leading real estate trade association with workforce development and education initiatives — comparable to CREATE as an industry-funded CRE pipeline organization, but serving the NYC market rather than California.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWdtRt9VrSmgKMHGTKuADow/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/createworkforce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Commercial Real Estate Alliance for Tomorrow's Employees (CREATE)