Best Trade Shows for Real Estate, Development, and REITs

We know your capital partners are watching rates, asset classes, and exit windows just as closely as you are. We built this 2026 real estate trade show calendar to help you show up where credibility compounds and deal flow starts quietly.

Real estate and REIT trade shows don’t move like traditional expos. These rooms aren’t about quick pitches or paper giveaways. They’re where market confidence is observed, where timing is sensed, and where investors take mental notes on who’s building with discipline.

Your presence doesn’t just say you’re active in the market but that you’re thinking long-term.

At the right events, deals rarely close on the floor, but introductions happen, track records get noticed, and risk tolerance gets calibrated. These are the places where capital relationships begin before they have a name.

What to Bring When the Room is Watching

• Investor decks that pair IRR and cash flow models with grounded commentary on market cycles and asset performance

• Project briefs that communicate clarity around zoning, entitlements, ESG criteria, and regional growth assumptions

• REIT and fund materials with distribution structure, fee transparency, and proven governance discipline

• Site visuals that combine architectural concept with operating assumptions—designed for financial conversations, not just design review

• Post-event follow-ups including market comps, acquisition criteria, and asset management playbooks that match investor language

At Borrowed Pen, we help real estate firms translate complex deals, projects, and fund strategies into clean, investor-ready messaging that holds up under scrutiny. Whether you need a tight pitch for a development fund, visuals for your booth, or a full investor kit that answers due diligence questions before they’re asked, we’ve got you covered.

We work alongside founders, asset managers, and capital raising teams to make sure what’s in your head makes sense on paper and across the table. Before you hit the best trade show for real estate leaders, make sure your materials match the caliber of the room. Book a call to get started.

Real Estate, Development, and REIT Trade Shows to Watch

If you're focused on relationship-first capital raising, look beyond trade shows and consider an investment club like Family Office Club. Their private events bring together active allocators, real estate operators, and family office principals with real appetite. Investment clubs like these offer direct conversations, serious questions, and a room full of people who already speak your language.

Here are the best trade shows for real estate to attend in 2026:

Dates	Conference	Location	Focus
Jan 11–14, 2026	CREFC January Conference	Miami, FL	Commercial Real Estate Finance Council’s winter gathering for lenders, bond buyers, servicers & investors.
Jan 21–23, 2026	IMN Winter Real Estate Private Funds	Laguna Beach, CA	Large GP/LP meetup on private real estate funds, capital raising, secondaries, and deal flow.
Jan 26–28, 2026	ALIS: Americas Lodging Investment Summit	Los Angeles, CA	Flagship hotel investment summit bringing owners, brands, lenders and developers.
Jan 27, 2026	NMHC Apartment Strategies Outlook Conference	Las Vegas, NV	Investor-focused outlook on apartment sector performance, capital markets and strategy.
Jan 27–30, 2026	NMHC Annual Meeting	Las Vegas, NV	C-suite networking for owners, operators, investors and service providers in multifamily.
Feb 2–3, 2026	IMN Land & Homebuilding Capital Markets West	Las Vegas, NV	Capital markets for land & homebuilding, private equity & lenders.
Feb 7, 2026	MFIN Conference (Multifamily Investor Network)	Houston, TX	Syndicators, passive investors and vendors focused on multifamily investment.
Feb 8–11, 2026	MBA Commercial/Multifamily Finance (CREF) Convention & Expo	San Diego, CA	Largest mortgage banking event for commercial & multifamily finance dealmaking and education.
Feb 11–13, 2026	AFIRE Winter Conference	Washington, DC	Institutional investors focused on cross-border capital into U.S. real estate.
Feb 17–20, 2026	Best Ever Conference (BEC X)	Salt Lake City, UT	Passive & active CRE investors; networking and portfolio strategy.
Mar 3–4, 2026	Florida Middle‑Market Multifamily Forum (IMN)	Coral Gables, FL	Regional B/C class multifamily investing, operations and capital.
Mar 10, 2026	CREFC High Yield, Distressed Assets & Servicing Conference	New York, NY	Distressed/ special situations, servicing, workouts across CRE.
Mar 12–13, 2026	IMN Manufactured Housing Forum West	San Diego, CA	Investment & operations for manufactured housing communities.
Mar 16–17, 2026	IMN Build‑to‑Rent Forum East	Nashville, TN	Build‑to‑rent strategies, equity/debt, and operations.
Mar 24–26, 2026	Nareit REITwise: Law, Accounting & Finance	Hollywood, FL	REIT-specific tax, legal, accounting and finance updates.
Mar 25, 2026	PREA CEO Leadership Forum	Nashville, TN	Closed‑door leadership forum for institutional real estate allocators & managers.
Mar 26–27, 2026	PREA Spring Conference	Nashville, TN	Institutional investor conference on real estate market trends & strategies.
Mar 30–Apr 1, 2026	NIC Spring Conference	Nashville, TN	Capital and operator networking for seniors housing & care.
May 5–7, 2026	ULI Spring Meeting	Nashville, TN	Investors & developers on market trends, capital, and urban development.
May (TBA), 2026	IMN Distressed CRE Forum	San Francisco, CA	Distressed CRE deal‑sourcing across office, retail, multifamily, hospitality.
May 18–20, 2026	ICSC LAS VEGAS	Las Vegas, NV	Retail real estate’s largest U.S. dealmaking & capital event.
May 18–20, 2026	IMN Single‑Family Rental Forum East	Miami Beach, FL	SFR/BTR investors, owners and operators — deals & strategies.
May 31–Jun 2, 2026	NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF Americas)	New York, NY	Hotel investment CEOs, lenders & developers; dealmaking.
Jun 1, 2026	Nareit REIT IR Symposium (Members)	New York, NY	Investor relations program ahead of REITweek; REITs & investors.
Jun 2–3, 2026	PERE Women in Real Estate Forum North America	New York, NY	Private real estate investors & managers; capital formation & strategy.
Jun 3, 2026	BLLA Boutique Hotel Investment Conference	New York, NY	Investment insights for boutique & lifestyle hotel owners and investors.
Jun 8–10, 2026	CREFC Annual Conference	New York, NY	Commercial real estate finance’s flagship summer conference.
Jun 15–16, 2026	IMN Real Estate Family Office & Private Wealth West	Dana Point, CA	Connect family office capital with real estate managers & deals.
Jun 24–26, 2026	IMN Real Estate Private Funds Summer	Newport, RI	GPs/LPs across real estate private equity; fund formation & secondaries.
Oct 5–7, 2026	NAIOP CRE.Converge	Denver, CO	All‑asset‑class CRE investors, developers & capital markets.
Oct 19–21, 2026	NMHC Student Housing Conference	Scottsdale, AZ	Student housing investors, lenders and operators.
Oct 21–23, 2026	NIC Fall Conference	Chicago, IL	Senior housing & care capital, operators and developers.
Oct 26–29, 2026	ULI Fall Meeting	Miami Beach, FL	Investors/developers; capital markets & urban development.
Nov 5–6, 2026	Novogradac Affordable Housing Conference	Washington, DC	Policy, financing & investment for affordable housing.
Dec 8–11, 2026	Nareit REITworld: Annual Conference	Dallas, TX	REIT CEOs, investors and analysts; 1:1 meetings and sessions.
Dec 9–10, 2026	ICSC NEW YORK	New York, NY	Retail & mixed‑use dealmaking, capital, and tenant/landlord meetings.
Dec 3–4, 2026	Novogradac Housing Tax Credit Finance Conference	Las Vegas, NV	Investing & financing strategies for LIHTC deals.