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I'd like to hear others' opinion on this. I've seen a lot of smart people involved with the ULI. Honestly I should be a member, I have just been too cheap and lazy to look into it.
Try to get your employer to pay for it, of course.
Definitely a good idea. I'm in it, unfortunately in a secondary market, but it helps you meet others in bigger markets. Great for networking. Pairing it with CCIM is a smart idea.
I'm in ULI SF and it's been nothing but helpful. They have a 'Young Leaders' goup for people under 35 with discounted rates as well. Lots of contacts, interesting events, and great exposure.
It can be a little bit awkward at first if you don't know a lot of people in the industry. It's kind of like rushing a fraternity or joining a university club. You're in a room with 100 different people, everyone is talking, and you have to work your way into conversations. After going a few events though the faces start to look a lot more familiar. Like anything, you get out what you put in. Get involved with YLG and try to get on a committee if possible.
Afer 18 months I've met a ton of people through ULI. Contacts that help at work and as well as a good network of people if you're trying to make moves. Do it.
I can't speak enough about how much ULI has helped my network, my resume, and my transition toward development. NAIOP or whatever is fine for brokerage, but ULI has urban planner, financiers, developers, architects, engineers, public health people, brokers, investors, and every other profession tied into real estate. Best group to be in.
I've joined a wide variety of real estate related groups over the past 4 years (TREC, ULI, CCIM, ICSC, NAIOP) and I have found ULI to have the best content, most diverse membership, and the most "heavy hitters"
NAIOP if industrial or office focused. ULI for all asset types. NMHC for multi-fam (I think these are just national conferences). ICSC if retail focused. CCIM/SIOR if you're a broker.
These are all worthwhile depending on you're place in the industry. I am in NAIOP / ULI, both young leaders groups - a mentorship group in ULI and hoping to get into a 30 under 35 group for NAIOP this month. Both are strong in my location, and are the best way to network.
Better to join ULI, NAIOP or something else? (Originally Posted: 01/18/2016)
Hey everyone. I'm a 2015 graduate still looking for a job in real estate (preferably acquisitions, development or investment sales). I want to join one of the trade organizations to expand my network and be able to meet with more people. I've heard very conflicting views from many REPE/REIB/REIT professionals on how helpful joining one of them would be. Some people have told me that it would be great for networking and gaining extra industry knowledge, but others say that some of the groups (especially ULI) are more geared towards senior people in the industry and only really helps for networking if you're on the board of them. Does anyone have any input on this? I'm definitely joining one of them as I need to meet as many people as possible and this sounds like a great way to expand my network but I'm not sure which. Is there one between ULI and NAIOP that you guys think would be better for a recent graduate looking to network with a ton of people in the field? Are there any other organizations that I'm missing that you think would be helpful to join? I know the Bisnow conferences are good too. Are there any other relatively inexpensive ($100 or less) conferences you may know of that would be helpful? Thank you.
Only really help for networking*
ULI Young Leaders Group (under 35) is one of the best organizations as far as networking directly with your peers and mentors.
This.
ULI is a fantastic networking tool. Albeit, the senior members usually control the discussions (at least in my market). However, we have a separate "junior members" meeting every now and then. This group is comprised of brokers, lenders/ bankers, developers, government workers, etc. Everyone is friendly and simply looking to make connections and move up in the world.
I'd say give it a shot and see if you feel like it. In my market, we allow prospective members to go to a few meetings before paying the membership fee.
The costs of joining ULI for an associate membership (under 35) is fairly reasonable and in some instances your firm may cover the costs. Worth joining in my opinion.
Im in a pretty similar situation and would have to agree with everyone above, Uli is an excellent resource. The member email list is great for getting in contact with more senior people and networking purposes
Can't believe I forgot this one. The member list is so unbelievably key when finding a job or internship. Executives who NEVER provide their contact info anywhere have it listed fully on the site and are usually impressed, in my experience, that you even found them.
I'm a massive proponent of ULI. Not only is it great for networking with people in the industry (real estate attorneys, civil engineer, architects, designers, developers, brokers, city planners, etc.) but it is a great source of knowledge with the Urban Land magazine and all of the case studies and a great resume booster. I was a co-chairman of an action council and got nominated to a regional young leaders council. A lot of hiring managers are also ULI members and really seem to care about both of these. Also, you get to experience some seriously cool stuff. I went to San Francisco this fall and got to meet with the developers of 181 Fremont, Salesforce Tower, and "City Park" in the Transbay district and also see all of those projects first hand.
If you are a broker, there are a ton of other groups you should ALSO join, but if you're anything else in the industry, ULI is the best IMO.
Have heard good things about ULI young leaders (confirmed by others who have posted in this thread. NAIOP was a waste in my opinon when I was a member.
Check out the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) institute as well known for its networking and commercial investment curriculum. Real Estate professionals include brokers, asset managers, appraisers, developers, etc. I would recommend pursuing the designation as well but you need a portfolio of work experience covering 5 years and the completing the core and elective courses.
Is it possible to join 2 or even 3 ULI/NAIOP chapters? I am in a city without one but frequently travel to 2-3 nearby hubs and thinking about joining all the chapters to network and learn more from people.
At least for ULI, I know you can switch chapters, and you can attend some events in other chapters, but you can only have one main chapter.
Join both
Urban Land Institute Events (Originally Posted: 04/26/2013)
Hey all,
I'm attending my first ULI conference/ event next week; it is a round-table discussion where a group of current/ recently graduated university students and 1st/ 2nd year CRE professionals are paired with 3 industry leaders.
Anyone who has attended ULI events, could you please chime in with any of your experiences/ advice? There is a cash bar networking opportunity after the event, so I'm guessing it would be a good idea to bring my resume and network?
All of my ULI experiences have been overwhelmingly positive with a terrific mix of people/professionals. Let me know how it goes
ULI Membership (Originally Posted: 08/21/2015)
I was just curious how many people here are members of the Urban Land Institute. I have seen several people mention using the membership list to reach out to people for networking and job opportunities, but does it hold a lot of value outside of that? Are the seminars and conferences worth going to? Their website has a bunch of information that makes it sound like it would be a valuable resource, but I would prefer to hear some firsthand opinions. What do you think?
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