The National Apartment Association: What Multifamily Investors Need to Know
The National Apartment Association (NAA) is an industry trade group for apartment owners, landlords, and investors, as well as service providers to the apartment industry. The NAA also has many local chapters, which leads to a variety of networking and partnership opportunities. In addition to landlords and investors, the NAA also attracts suppliers, builders, developers, property managers, leasing consultants, and maintenance firms.
How to Join the National Apartment Association
Joining the National Apartment Association is always done through joining a local affiliate. Once an individual joins an affiliate, they are automatically a NAA member. There are approximately 150 affiliates in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., as well as international affiliates in Canada and the U.K. To find a NAA affiliate in your area, you can simply visit their affiliate search page. Membership generally consists of a small annual fee, but this is typically determined at the local level. NAA facilities generally offer education courses, community involvement and volunteering opportunities, as well as career mentoring and marketing assistance. Like many other industry groups, NAA members can also utilize a variety of discounts offered to members.
The National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI)
In addition to providing basic benefits and networking opportunities for members, the NAA has also placed a strong emphasis on education. Their educational arm, the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI), offers high level training and certifications, including:
Independent Rental Owner Professional Designation Course (IROP): Designed for independent landlord/investors, this course teaches elements of marketing, small business finance, operations management, property management, and public relations.
Certified Apartment Manager (CAM): Designed for property management professionals, this course reviews property maintenance, legal basics, marketing, human resources, budgeting, marketing, risk management, and other essential skills.
Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS): Intended for property management supervisors, this course offers a higher level perspective on property management.
National Apartment Leasing Professional (NALP): Created to deepen and enhance career training for leasing professionals, this course trains students in skills including sales, leasing agreements, lease renewals, tenant screening, marketing, and more.
Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians (CAMT): Developed for both new and experienced maintenance technicians, this course will outline the essentials of creating and implementing an effective property maintenance program.
Other Facts About the NAA
While offering benefits, networking opportunities, and educational courses are among the main objectives of the NAA, they also focus on giving back to the community, with efforts including a military career fair for transitioning military and military spouses, intended to provide them educational and networking opportunities within the apartment industry.
In addition, the National Apartment Association also sponsors research and advocacy efforts for the apartment industry. In 2013, the NAA, along with the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) released a study indicating that the apartment industry supports more than 25 million jobs across the country, while contributing more than $1 trillion to the U.S. economy.
Should You Join The National Apartment Association?
This depends on your goals. If you want an opportunity to network with other apartment owners, multifamily investors, and property managers in your area, joining your local NAA affiliate may be an excellent idea. In addition, National Apartment Association membership can be beneficial if you’d like to make use of any of the supplier discounts they offer. However, if you’re considering NAA membership for this reason alone, make sure that you will actually be using one or more of the suppliers that offer discounts through the group. When it comes to multifamily investing, no one organization will make or break your success, but, over the long term, any group that can expand your professional network, including the NAA, will generally have a positive impact.