Our Purpose

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation invests in real estate* policy, research, practices,
and education that strengthen Alberta’s communities.

* All real estate assets involve land¹. Real estate is real property². This includes the natural resources, minerals, water, growth, and any improvements of real property. The real estate industry is the buying, selling, leasing, development, management and stewardship of real property. Real estate professionals and Albertans may be involved in any of the above activities.

¹ From the REALTORS® Code: “Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. Through the REALTOR®, the land resource of the nation reaches its highest use and private land ownership its widest distribution.”

² From the Real Estate Council of Alberta:
Real Estate Assets: Real estate or real property.
Real Estate or Real Property: Land and fixed improvements to the land. Typically this includes buildings and other site improvements that are fixed in place. This definition is derived from English common law.

Nearly three decades of impacting our community

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation was established in 1991 to enhance the real estate industry and benefit the people of Alberta. Created under the Real Estate Act after years of discussion between industry leaders and officials in the provincial government, the Foundation started making an impact right away by funding initiatives to help educate and train real estate professionals. Over the years, we have broadened our scope to fund hundreds of diverse projects in five different areas:

We support projects, practices and ideas that encourage experimentation with the goal of creating new ways of realizing community potential within Alberta.

COMMUNITY INNOVATION

We inform Real Estate and land use practices that engage Albertans by creating learning opportunities.

EDUCATION + RESEARCH

We support research or projects that address how to access housing options and innovative approaches to improve affordability.

HOUSING

We enable Albertans to understand and respond to changing land use patterns, growth pressures, air and water management issues and enhance the ecological quality of their communities.

LAND STEWARDSHIP & ENVIRONMENT

The Foundation is funded by real estate transactions across the province. When a home buyer deposits money in trust through a real estate broker, the interest that’s earned on the deposit is accumulated and forwarded to the Foundation for reinvestment in Alberta’s communities. The Real Estate Act states that the Foundation’s purpose is to promote and undertake:

the education of related professionals and the public in respect of the real estate industry,
law reform and research in respect of the real estate industry, and
other projects and activities to advance and improve the real estate industry.

See Section 64: Foundation’s Mandate

Our Values

For the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, investing in the people of Alberta is an evolving process. We strive to make purposeful investments that make a real difference for the Real Estate industry and for all Albertans. Successful community investment is a balance of art and analysis. The Foundation is continually learning and adapting its community investment strategies to ensure that funding awarded contributes to our guiding principles and creates successful results for the organizations and communities that collaborate with us on projects.

Respect

Accountability & Transparency

Collaboration

Innovation & Continuous Learning

Sustainability

Annual Report

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation’s 2017-2018 Annual Report is now available for viewing. Highlights include:

Details on 2017-2018 revenue and interest

Summary of 2017-2018 community investments

Highlights of funded projects