As chair of our association, I have the privilege of speaking with members in chapters across the United States and Canada. Those conversations make one thing clear: Our industry has changed significantly over the years, and our association has changed with it. One of the most visible expressions of this evolution is our new association name: the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.
Celeste Tanner
The NAIOP name served us well for decades. It has history, meaning and tangible recognition among our members, in the industry, with policymakers and beyond. But the name’s emphasis on office and industrial real estate development — the original focus when our association was founded more than 50 years ago — doesn’t tell the full story of what our members do today. Furthermore, our next generation of leaders, whether in the industry or in public policy, don’t have the benefit of knowing NAIOP’s deep history, and our name can unintentionally become a barrier to their understanding.
That is why we rebranded in July as the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. This name better reflects who we are today, the work our members are doing and the future we are building together.
Our nearly 22,000 members today represent the widest demographic range, broadest geographic reach and most diverse level of product investment in our association’s history. Our collective expertise as an organization now extends far beyond our office and industrial roots into a full assortment of asset types that shape everyday life, including retail, multifamily, mixed-use, data centers, cold storage, aerospace, senior living, student housing and more. In my own work as president and chief development officer of Confluent Development in Denver, I see this variety in action. On any given day, I might be working with our team on senior living, mixed-use, retail, office or industrial projects across the United States.
Our association’s new name also reflects the diversity of our members’ specialties, roles, experiences and perspectives. As a member of the rebrand task force, I took part in many thoughtful discussions about who and what our association represents, what we aspire to convey through our branding and where we are heading next. The task force was part of a comprehensive look at the rebrand that included focus groups, surveys, industry research and more. We recognize many roles and people make up the spaces where we work, live, shop, play and innovate. We want to ensure that our name — and, in fact, our whole organization’s brand — clearly conveys an industry where young professionals can envision themselves growing their careers, where longtime professionals find value in being actively involved, and where industry veterans see opportunities to shape their legacies.
Every aspect of the rebrand was carefully considered, from the curvature of the “C” to the design element of the “D.” This level of precision may seem over the top — what does the degree of a letter’s curvature really mean? — but I can assure you that it matters. Each piece, from the colors to the styling of the letters to the font, combines to create a strong new brand that both honors our past and charts a robust future for our association.
This precision is also critical for the work that we do. We will continue to provide valuable networking, effective advocacy, timely research and exceptional education to our members. Our name will now, however, more accurately represent our association as we build relationships both within our industry and outside of it, from Capitol Hill to the press to forming a more favorable public perception of the importance of commercial real estate development.
As we take this step, I hope our members see this change for what it is: a thoughtful and necessary evolution. Our new name reflects the industry as it exists today and as it will continue to grow in the years ahead. It acknowledges the many ways our members contribute to commercial real estate and reinforces that our association is home to a broad and vibrant professional community. Most importantly, it positions us to lead with greater clarity and purpose.
A name alone does not define an organization — its people do. Our members have always been the strength of this association, and that will never change. What this new name does is give us a more accurate and inclusive way to describe that strength to the world. It reflects an industry that is broader, more innovative and more interconnected than ever before.
I am excited about this new era, confident in what it represents and grateful to move forward with all of you under a name that fully reflects the diversity and promise of our profession.
Celeste Tanner
President/Chief Development Officer, Confluent Development
2026 Chair, Commercial Real Estate Development Association
