The commercial real estate industry is evolving—and so are the ways we prepare future leaders to succeed within it. At the REET Institute, we’ve taken bold steps to close the opportunity gap for youth from underrepresented communities by providing early exposure, mentorship, and industry education. Thanks to the support of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF), we’ve been able to launch a game-changing tool to expand our reach: the REET App.

A Digital Hub for Real-World Learning

The REET App now serves as a one-stop platform for youth enrolled in our eight-week program. It centralizes all aspects of the experience—from registration and onboarding to educational modules, property tours, mentor connections, and alumni engagement. This innovation has drastically reduced administrative time and improved the user experience, making our programming more efficient and scalable. Youth are engaging more consistently, mentors are better equipped to support, and we're seeing stronger outcomes across the board. As part of the app’s development, we partnered with Mount Royal University to hire and onboard a co-op student from their computer science program. This partnership provided additional technical capacity while also aligning with our commitment to education and mentorship. Through the co-op structure, the student received valuable oversight and professional growth opportunities—mirroring the same values we embed in our youth programming.

Real Impact, Real Outcomes

In our most recent Spring 2025 cohort in Edmonton, 16 youth used the app to navigate their learning journey. They arrived at workshops more prepared, accessed resources easily, and stayed connected with their mentors and teams through in-app messaging and notifications. The results spoke for themselves: the cohort delivered the strongest pitch competition in our organization’s history, with judges remarking that every team could have outperformed previous years’ winners. Beyond the pitch, youth are following through on internship opportunities, applying for real estate-related post-secondary programs, and staying engaged with the industry as alumni.

What’s Next

We are now exploring partnerships with First Nations to expand the program and integrate the REET App into broader Indigenous economic development and career readiness initiatives. Looking ahead, we aim to enhance the app with AI-driven features to provide personalized learning pathways and improve accessibility.

Thank You, AREF

AREF’s investment has enabled us to build something truly transformational—not just for our organization, but for the future of the industry.