In its ambition to advance best practice and transparency in the non-listed real estate industry, education and training form a crucial strand of INREV’s activities. The organisation’s efforts in this area have clearly come to be appreciated, with 99% of those taking a training course saying they would recommend it to a colleague.

But as the industry develops and gains in sophistication, INREV knows that it needs to keep building its education and training offer. With this in mind, the Training and Education Committee  is currently focused on two major initiatives: introducing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation for INREV events and training and revamping the course structure for the INREV/Henley Certificate. They have also played a pivotal role in developing the course programme for INREV’s new online course, the ‘Nine Pillars of Real Estate Best Practice: building advantage through the INREV Guidelines’, which will take place for the first time in May 2022 and led by industry expert, Mike Hornsby.   

as the industry develops and gains in sophistication, INREV knows that it needs to keep building its education and training offer

Introducing CPD accreditation for most INREV training courses and a number of its events should mean that the value of participating in these learning activities is recognised still more widely in the industry.  And for those wishing to advance their careers, INREV training will come to be seen as an even more beneficial use of their time.

INREV has now become a CPD member organisation  and courses will be accredited on a course by course basis. 

Quoting the CPD website, ‘the CPD Certification Service supports the Continuing Professional Development policies of institutional and professional organisations on an increasingly global basis, working across all sectors, disciplines and further learning applications. In doing so, it aims to ensure that the learning material produced by member organisations achieves the qualitative standards required by all parties.

So what will INREV members need to do in order to benefit from the scheme? In essence, it should be quite straightforward to collect the CPD credit points.

So what will INREV members need to do in order to benefit from the scheme? In essence, it should be quite straightforward to collect the CPD credit points. It’s just a question of choosing and joining the course that you want to attend and INREV will automatically send you a certificate of attendance for your records.  

Hedda Hollander, INREV’s Director of Events and Education, sees INREV’s membership of CPD as a significant step. ‘Since our industry is now highly professional, it makes sense for us to offer professionally accredited training and events – something that will now be possible with the CPD tie-up,’ she says. ‘We’re really pleased about the prospect of our members being able to consciously and proactively enhance their professional skills and proficiency via INREV training.’

Since our industry is now highly professional, it makes sense for us to offer professionally accredited training and events – something that will now be possible with the CPD tie-up

The committee’s work to revamp the structure of the INREV/Henley Certificate course also reflects this theme of building professionalisation across the industry in the sphere of education and training.  Members will be aware that the Certificate has now been running successfully for almost 6 years, with 53 students having graduated from the course and a further 45 now actively undertaking it. 

Those studying for the INREV/Henley Certificate must choose between two learning paths – either Portfolio Management or Corporate Finance. In total they need to follow 5 courses, three of which are mandatory and the remaining two can be chosen from a list of   ‘elective’ courses. And at the end they must complete an assessment.
  
The main change in the Certificate revamp will affect the Corporate Finance path, where the investment analysis   course will replace the investor relations and communications as a mandatory course and the debt financing course and   has been expanded to include equity aspects. The third mandatory course on fund valuation and reporting will remain in place. The aim of this update is to make the Corporate Finance path better reflect the needs of the industry, effectively ensuring that it focuses more directly on the core elements of the subject. The Investor Relations and Communications course can still be chosen as an elective course. 

Manuel Wormer, Chair of the Training and Education Committee , suggests that this was the right time to take a fresh look at the Certificate and ensure that it remains fit for purpose. ‘The INREV/Henley Certificate has grown in popularity since it was launched in 2016 and we want to continue in offering a top tier professional qualification to the industry, by making sure the course remains relevant in today’s marketplace,’ he emphasises.

The committee would like members to be aware that now is a good moment to enrol for the Certificate – the only academically accredited certification in the non-listed real estate industry – especially as new places have just recently become available across both of the subject paths.