African Real Estate Society

What African Real Estate Society does

African Real Estate Society (AfRES) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1997 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, with secretariat operations that rotate per Executive Presidency. It operates as the recognized regional society for Africa within the International Real Estate Society (IRES) family and serves as the premier continental body dedicated to networking, research, and education among real estate professionals, academics, and policymakers across Africa. AfRES targets four primary customer segments: real estate academics, practicing professionals (agents, valuers, property managers, developers), policymakers (government officials, urban planners, land administrators), and early-career professionals/students through the FLAfRES sub-brand and women in real estate through WOMEN IN AfRES.

The organization's core products are knowledge-exchange vehicles rather than technology: the peer-reviewed Journal of African Real Estate Research (JARER), published in partnership with the University of Cape Town; the AfRES Digital Library repository of conference proceedings, policy papers, and chapter reports; and the flagship Annual Conference, with the 25th edition scheduled for September 8-11, 2026 in Kampala, Uganda. Supporting offerings include quarterly newsletters, sub-committee programs (FLAfRES, WOMEN IN AfRES, Council of Elders), and Francophone and Lusophone language-accessibility initiatives. Membership is administered through four regional chapters (West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Northern Africa launched in 2025), covering 17+ member nations.

The business model is a membership-based subscription model supplemented by conference registration fees and publication-access revenue. General AfRES membership fees are not publicly disclosed; the only transparent pricing is FLAfRES at $10 annually. Distribution and member acquisition flow through the regional chapter structure with the annual conference as the flagship touchpoint, complemented by sister-society cross-promotion under IRES. The organization has no proprietary technology platform, no disclosed revenue or funding, and operates on a non-profit governance structure with an elected Executive Committee serving two-year terms.

Name

African Real Estate Society

Legal name

African Real Estate Society

Website

https://afres.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

African Real Estate Society (AfRES) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1997 that serves real estate academics, practitioners, and policymakers across 17+ African nations through peer-reviewed research (JARER), the annual conference, and four regional chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate, Appraisal & Mortgage (Agent/Broker CE, Appraiser CE) (EDAAALAI)

Keywords

• Professional association
• Real estate research
• Academic publishing
• Industry membership
• Professional networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Celina

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees collected through regional chapters. Membership provides access to continental and international (IRES) benefits, conferences, publications, and networking opportunities.
2. Conference Revenue: Registration fees for the annual AfRES Conference and regional chapter events. Early registration offers discounted rates with premium venue access.
3. FLAfRES Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of $10 for the Future Leaders of AfRES (FLAfRES) wing, providing access to exclusive programs, networking opportunities, and professional development resources.
4. Publication Access: Revenue generated through the Journal of African Real Estate Research (JARER) and access to the AfRES Digital Library containing conference proceedings, policy papers, and regional chapter reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

African Real Estate Society (AfRES) is a membership-based nonprofit professional association that delivers a pan-African platform for real estate research, professional practice, and policy dialogue. Its core offerings include the peer-reviewed Journal of African Real Estate Research (JARER) published in partnership with the University of Cape Town, the AfRES Digital Library of conference proceedings and policy papers, the flagship Annual Conference, and four regional chapters (West, East, Southern, Northern Africa) administering membership, local events, and continuing professional development for academics, practitioners, and policymakers.

Product overview

African Real Estate Society (AfRES) operates as a multi-offering professional society rather than a unified software platform. Its core portfolio consists of the peer-reviewed Journal of African Real Estate Research (JARER) published with University of Cape Town, the AfRES Digital Library repository, and the Annual Conference as primary knowledge exchange vehicles. Supporting sub-brands include FLAfRES (Future Leaders) for youth mentorship and career development, WOMEN IN AfRES for gender equity initiatives, and linguistic projects (Francophone and Lusophone) for language accessibility. The Regional Chapters Network (West, East, Southern, Northern Africa) provides local coordination. Newsletters deliver recurring content to members. These offerings function as interconnected programs of a membership organization, not as modular software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FLAfRES: Future Leaders of AfRES - dedicated to mentoring early-career professionals and emerging researchers in the African real estate sector
• WOMEN IN AfRES
• Council of Elders
• Francophone Project
• Lusophone Project
• Journal of African Real Estate Research (JARER)

Products and services

• Journal of African Real Estate Research (JARER) Flagship peer-reviewed academic journal publishing rigorous research on African property markets, housing policy, and valuation, published in partnership with the University of Cape Town and targeted at academics, researchers, and policymakers.
• AfRES Annual Conference Premier continental real estate event bringing together professionals, academics, and policymakers for research presentation, networking, and professional development. The 25th Annual Conference is scheduled for September 8-11, 2026 in Kampala, Uganda.
• AfRES Membership via Regional Chapters Annual membership in the African Real Estate Society, administered through four regional chapters (West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Northern Africa), granting access to continental and international (IRES) benefits including publications, conferences, and networking.
• FLAfRES Annual Membership Annual membership tier priced at $10 per year for the FLAfRES Future Leaders wing, providing early-career professionals and students with access to mentorship programs, networking opportunities, case competitions, internships, and capacity-building resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 annual conferences held since 2001, bringing together hundreds of professionals, academics, and policymakers
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IREBS Foundation for African Real Estate ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The IREBS Foundation has been instrumental in advancing AfRES's research agenda and capacity-building initiatives. Through their support, AfRES has enhanced its scholarly output, provided travel grants for emerging researchers, and strengthened real estate education across the continent. The Foundation's commitment to African real estate research has significantly contributed to the Society's continental impact.
• Henley Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025A long-standing partner in real estate education and research, Henley Business School has collaborated with AfRES to deliver high-quality academic programs, executive education, and research initiatives that strengthen professional practice across Africa.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025RICS has been a valued partner in promoting professional standards, ethics, and best practices in real estate across Africa. Their support has enhanced AfRES's capacity-building programs and professional development initiatives.
• European Real Estate Society (ERES)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025The leading real estate research meeting in Europe, incorporating many national property research societies, academic researchers and real estate practitioners. AfRES collaborates with ERES for knowledge exchange and joint conference participation.
• Latin American Real Estate Society (LARES)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025An academic entity that extends to the market, encouraging the development of studies in the Real Estate area across Latin America. Partnership provides cross-continental research collaboration opportunities.
• American Real Estate Society (ARES)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025An association of real estate thought leaders drawn from academia and the profession, fostering research and education. AfRES collaborates with ARES for knowledge exchange spanning North America and Africa.
• Asian Real Estate Society (AsRES)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Established in 1996 to produce and disseminate real estate related knowledge with particular emphasis on Asia. Partnership facilitates research collaboration and conference participation across continents.
• Pacific Rim Real Estate Society (PRRES)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Encouraging and facilitating property research and property education in the Pacific-Rim region through annual conferences and collaborative initiatives. Partnership expands AfRES's global network.
• International Real Estate Society (IRES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997AfRES is an affiliated member of the International Real Estate Society, the global umbrella organization connecting real estate research societies from around the world. AfRES serves as the recognized regional society for Africa within the IRES family, connecting the continent to the global real estate research community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Real Estate Society (IRES): Global umbrella organization for real estate research societies. AfRES is the recognized African regional affiliate of IRES, making IRES the closest parent-equivalent peer that defines the international network in which AfRES operates.
• American Real Estate Society (ARES): US-based association of real estate thought leaders from academia and the profession. Sister society to AfRES with the same research, education, and networking mission but focused on North America, offering a near-perfect functional peer comparison.
• European Real Estate Society (ERES): Leading European real estate research society that brings together academics, researchers, and practitioners. Sister society to AfRES under IRES, with similar conference, publication, and membership model, making it the most structurally comparable peer.
• Asian Real Estate Society (AsRES): Established in 1996 to produce and disseminate real estate knowledge in Asia. Direct sister society to AfRES under IRES with analogous annual conferences, journal, and member-driven research collaboration model.
• Pacific Rim Real Estate Society (PRRES): Encourages and facilitates property research and education in the Pacific Rim region through annual conferences. Sister society to AfRES with matching membership/conference structure and overlapping academic audience.
• Latin American Real Estate Society (LARES): Academic entity focused on developing real estate studies across Latin America. Direct IRES sister society comparable to AfRES in scope, mission, and conference-driven engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• CoreNet Global: Professional association for corporate real estate executives. Comparable to AfRES as a membership-driven knowledge-exchange body, though it focuses on the corporate end-user segment rather than academic research.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): Global professional body for chartered surveyors and real estate professionals. RICS is a strategic partner of AfRES and operates a parallel but broader mandate spanning standards, credentials, and commercial real estate practice worldwide.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI): Global research and education organization focused on land use and real estate development. ULI overlaps with AfRES's research and policy dialogue mission but operates at global scale and includes a broader industry-developer membership.

Emerging players

• African Real Estate & Construction Roundtable: Pan-African industry events and intelligence platform focused on real estate investment opportunities. Comparable to AfRES in African geographic focus but more commercially oriented toward deal-making rather than academic research and professional standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/afresorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/african-real-estate-society-organization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 African Real Estate Society