ULI Toronto

What ULI Toronto does

ULI Toronto is the Toronto District Council of the Urban Land Institute, a 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit research and education organization established in Canada in 2005 and headquartered at 30 St Patrick Street, Toronto. It operates as a multidisciplinary professional association serving developers, architects, planners, investors, public sector officials, students, and nonprofits engaged in real estate and land use across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. The organization curates more than 90 events and programs annually — including panels, workshops, study tours (Copenhagen, London, Prince Edward County), symposiums, fireside chats, webinars, podcasts (Electric Cities, WLI, ICYMI), and the flagship annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate report co-produced with PwC — alongside standing initiatives such as UrbanPlan, Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs), the Curtner Urban Leadership Program, Mentorship, the Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI), Connect (Under 35), Pathways to Inclusion, the Accelerating Accessibility Coalition, and Truth and Reconciliation programming. Members gain access to ULI's global Knowledge Finder research library, Member Directory, Navigator platform, and Urban Land magazine.

Under Executive Director Richard Joy, who became the first full-time ED in 2014, ULI Toronto has more than tripled membership to 2,600+ members and now ranks as the largest district council in ULI's 43,000+ member global network. Revenue is generated through four streams: tiered membership dues (Associate $420/yr, Full Member $1,032/yr, with discounted rates for Under 35, Government/Nonprofit/Academia, and Students); event registration and program fees; annual corporate sponsorships at Diamond, Platinum, and Gold tiers from leading Canadian real estate firms (Fengate, Arcadis, EllisDon, Tricon, Mattamy Homes, Cadillac Fairview, Brookfield, Oxford, Dream); and donations, including an Indigenous and Newcomer Membership Fund processed via CAF Canada. The organization runs a lean full-time team of approximately 16 staff and is governed by a Management Committee, Advisory Board, Governance Committee, and DEIR Council.

Name

ULI Toronto

Legal name

Urban Land Institute

Website

https://toronto.uli.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ULI Toronto is the Toronto District Council of the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit professional association serving 2,600+ real estate, planning, and public sector members in the Greater Toronto Area through events, education, research, and member programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual and monthly membership fees from individual professionals in real estate and land use industries. Tiers include Associate Member, Full Member, with discounts for Under 35, Government/Nonprofit/Academia, and Students.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from event attendance, workshops, tours, and special programs. Some events are free for members while others have registration fees.
3. Annual Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship from real estate development companies at Diamond, Platinum, and Gold tiers. Sponsors receive recognition and visibility at ULI events and activities.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Donations including the Indigenous and Newcomer Membership Fund campaign, with charitable tax receipts through CAF Canada for contributions of $500 or more.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ULI Toronto is a non-profit professional association that delivers events, education, mentorship, technical assistance, and leadership programs for real estate and land use professionals in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. It sells individual and organizational memberships, runs signature programs such as UrbanPlan and the Curtner Urban Leadership Program, and convenes industry through in-person and virtual events, study tours, podcasts, and member resources.

Product overview

ULI Toronto is a district council of the Urban Land Institute, operating as a membership-based nonprofit organization rather than a software product company. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services including: an events program (90+ annual events including panels, tours, workshops, symposiums, fireside chats, and the Annual Trends in Real Estate); membership with access to a global network of over 43,000 members; educational initiatives such as UrbanPlan, Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs), the Curtner Urban Leadership Program, and Mentorship; special initiatives including the Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI), Accelerating Accessibility Coalition, Connect (Under 35), and Pathways to Inclusion; content platforms including Knowledge Finder, Member Directory, and Navigator; podcast programming (Electric Cities, WLI Podcast, ICYMI/PropTech); and Study Tours to international cities. These offerings collectively serve the organization's mission to shape the future of the built environment through education, networking, and knowledge sharing within the Toronto region's real estate and land use community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ULI Toronto Membership Annual professional membership for individuals and organizations in the real estate and land use industry, providing access to events, Knowledge Finder, Member Directory, Navigator, and other member resources.
• ULI Toronto Events Program Calendar of in-person and virtual events including flagship conferences, panels, and networking gatherings for the Toronto real estate community.
• UrbanPlan Land use and real estate education program that engages community members, students, and stakeholders in a simulated development case study.
• Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) Panels of ULI members providing pro-bono consulting and recommendations to public-sector and nonprofit clients on complex land use and real estate challenges.
• Curtner Urban Leadership Program Multi-session leadership development program for senior real estate and land use professionals in the Toronto region.
• ULI Toronto Mentorship Program Structured mentorship pairing experienced industry leaders with emerging real estate professionals.
• Study Tours Curated multi-day site visits to urban development and real estate projects for member education and benchmarking.
• ULI Toronto Podcasts Audio content series featuring interviews and discussions on real estate, land use, and urban development topics.
• Knowledge Finder Online member-accessible library of ULI research, reports, and case studies on land use and real estate.
• Sponsorship Program Sponsorship packages that give corporations visibility across ULI Toronto events, programs, and digital channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than tripled membership since 2014 under current leadership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerULI and PwC jointly produce the annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, a leading industry outlook publication covering capital markets, property sectors, and metropolitan area forecasts.
• ArcadiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor and WLI sponsor. Arcadis provides sponsorship support and participates in ULI programming and events as a leading design and consultancy firm.
• EllisDoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor and participant in ULI programming. EllisDon is a major construction services company supporting ULI Toronto events and initiatives.
• FengatecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor. Fengate is an alternative investment manager specializing in real estate and infrastructure.
• Tricon ResidentialcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor. Tricon is a residential real estate company providing sponsorship support.
• Mattamy HomescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor. Canada's largest privately-owned homebuilder supporting ULI initiatives.
• Cadillac FairviewcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor. Cadillac Fairview is a leading real estate investment and management company.
• BrookfieldcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Brookfield is a global alternative asset manager with significant real estate holdings.
• Oxford PropertiescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Oxford Properties is the global real estate arm of OMERS.
• DreamcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor. Dream is a leading Canadian real estate development company.
• CAF CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAF Canada (Canadian Association of Foodbanks) partnership for the Indigenous and Newcomer Membership Fund, providing charitable tax receipts for donations of $500 or more.
• ULI AmericascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing research, programming, and global network support to ULI Toronto district council.
• Neighboring District Councils (ULI Alberta, ULI British Columbia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating Canadian district councils within the ULI Americas region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NAIOP: The leading U.S. (and increasingly North American) trade association for commercial real estate developers, owners, and investors. NAIOP directly competes for the same developer sponsors and senior-level members that ULI Toronto serves, with overlapping events, awards, and research offerings.
• BOMA Canada: Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada is a national membership association serving commercial real estate building owners, managers, and service providers. It competes directly with ULI Toronto for CRE members, event attendance, and corporate sponsorship in the Canadian market.
• Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB): TRREB is the principal real estate board serving Greater Toronto Area realtors and residential market participants. While oriented to residential brokerage rather than development, it competes for member mindshare and sponsors among Toronto's broader real estate ecosystem.
• REALpac (Real Property Association of Canada): REALpac is the national association for institutional real estate owners, investors, lenders, and service providers in Canada. It competes for institutional investor members and corporate sponsors who might otherwise engage ULI Toronto at the Diamond/Platinum sponsorship tiers.
• CoreNet Global: CoreNet Global serves corporate real estate executives and end users of real estate with membership, events, and research. It is a direct peer in the interdisciplinary real estate association space and overlaps with ULI Toronto's corporate occupier and planner audience.
• ICSC (Innovating Commerce Serving Communities): ICSC is the leading global membership association for the retail real estate industry. Its events (e.g., ICSC Canadian Convention) and member services compete with ULI Toronto for retail-focused developer sponsors and shopping center professionals in the GTA.
• ULI New York: ULI New York is another major district council within the same global ULI network. It is the closest comparable in terms of operating model (events, sponsorships, programming) and competes for cross-jurisdictional corporate sponsorship dollars from developers active in both markets.

Broad incumbents

• RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors): RICS is a global professional body for surveying, land, property, and real estate professionals. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping credentials, events, and standards, competing for senior practitioners who might otherwise be ULI Full Members.
• CCIM Institute: CCIM Institute is a global association for commercial real estate investment professionals offering designation, education, and networking. It overlaps with ULI Toronto on investor membership and education revenue, particularly through its Canadian chapters.

Emerging players

• SIOR (Society of Industrial and Office Realtors): SIOR is a membership organization for industrial and office real estate brokers and specialists. It is an emerging/niche player in the broader Toronto CRE association landscape and overlaps with ULI Toronto's office and industrial member segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ULIToronto
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UrbanLandToronto
• Facebookfacebook.com/ULIToronto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uli-toronto
• Instagraminstagram.com/uli_toronto

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 ULI Toronto