Toigo Foundation Helps Connect REITs with Associate-Ready Graduate Talent

This article is the eighth in a series highlighting the Nareit Foundation’s DTD 2025 grantees, part of an initiative focused on increasing the visibility, awareness, and appeal of the REIT industry. The Foundation’s DTD program prioritizes three main goals: supporting pipeline and talent development, expanding procurement and business development, and making REITs understandable and accessible to everyday investors. In 2025, the Foundation awarded grants to nine nonprofit organizations, including the Robert A. Toigo Foundation, recognized for empowering Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduates in finance and real estate through strong career development resources and a vibrant alumni network. ToigoLINK:RE is a year-round talent access platform that helps REITs identify MBA, as well as Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE),and Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) candidates ready for associate-level roles.

Commercial real estate (CRE) and REITs know that having a talented workforce that reflects the breadth of their stakeholder base is an important element of success. Achieving this mix, however, requires bold action to find, support, and promote professionals who have the skills and drive to become the next generation of CRE and REIT leaders.

One organization working to realize these goals is the Robert A. Toigo Foundation, which since 1989 has driven real change—first in finance and now in CRE.

Backed by the Nareit Foundation and its DTD grant, Toigo is equipping talented MBA, MSRE and MRED candidates with the expertise and training they need to thrive in CRE, REITs, and finance. As a result, more graduates with a wide range of skills and perspectives are rising into leadership roles and making a meaningful impact in these fields.

ToigoLINK: RE is a Vibrant Platform for Career Development

At the heart of this mission is ToigoLINK: Real Estate (RE), which was launched in 2023 and is designed for early-career talent. With continued support from Nareit, ToigoLINK: RE is much more than a job board—it’s an innovative, digital talent access network for graduate students seeking careers in real estate.

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The platform serves as a direct link between individuals pursuing advanced degrees and leading employers in the REIT and CRE industries. By facilitating these connections, graduates can find a wider range of career opportunities, while REITs can tap into a broader pool of skilled professionals.

In real estate, most large companies have organized competitive recruiting processes at the undergraduate level but far fewer have a similar focus at the graduate level. Smaller and mid-sized firms often have just one hiring manager or a limited HR team, relying primarily on personal networks to find talent.

“The ToigoLINK: RE platform bridges this gap. It enables us to connect well-trained, high-potential talent with organizations that might otherwise miss out on this pool of candidates,”  says Albert (Beto) Cruz, team lead for the Real Estate Career Accelerator at Toigo.

Creating Pathways

“We’re forging clearer pathways into institutional real estate for those who are ready, willing, and eager to take on these roles,” Cruz continues. “Our focus is on supporting individuals who are passionate about real estate and determined to make meaningful contributions to the communities that shape our daily lives.”

According to Cruz, ToigoLINK: RE’s influence goes well beyond simply connecting candidates to real estate jobs. While graduate interest is strong to break into an industry that boasts competitive associate-level salaries, only 2% to 5% of MBA graduates enter real estate as a career. Toigo is committed to reversing this trend by focusing on coaching, hands-on technical training, and extensive professional networks to help open doors to opportunities, increase brand visibility, and present the strongest profile of talent as they advance in their job search.

The platform provides practical training in real estate financial modeling certification, AI-enabled analysis and investment committee-style memo writing, and sector primers. It then helps participants create a strategy to pursue roles in acquisitions, asset management, development, capital markets, investor relations, and provides access—across REITs, allocators, managers, and operators. As real estate adapts to market trends and AI, Toigo wants to ensure that participants have expertise in the technologies that are key for market analysis and structuring transactions.

“We want to participate in moving the industry forward by introducing new generation thinking, especially through developing fluency in AI and incorporating those skills into financial modeling,” says Nancy Sims, Toigo president and CEO. “Our goal is for the industry to recognize graduate level talent as a strategic asset.”

The Power of Partnership

Nareit’s grant has played a key role in expanding ToigoLINK: RE by helping launch new educational programs and opening doors for graduate-level applicants, Sims explains. With this funding, Toigo is making progress in assisting companies that are seeking to build dynamic pipelines, increase retention, and cultivate the next generation of leaders. Individual REITs, meanwhile, can further support the initiative by hosting workshops or providing financial contributions.

The impact of this partnership is clear.

“We’ve seen firsthand the kind of leadership cultivated through the Toigo Foundation,” says Ayris T. Scales, Nareit's senior vice president of social responsibility & global initiatives. “Today, some of those leaders serve as CEOs and executives within our member companies, and by continuing this partnership, we can ensure that impact continues to grow.”

What makes Toigo so valuable is that it isn’t theoretical; it’s practical, Scales points out. “Our members can literally go to Toigo today to find qualified, career-ready talent to fill open positions across their organizations.”

Lifelong Support and Impact

In ToigoLINK: RE’s first year, more than 50 participants pursued CRE and REIT career opportunities. They benefit from the rich network of professionals within the asset class—today totalling 200 who engage in Toigo’s real estate investment education curriculum. Ten percent of those professionals are in leadership roles today within prominent real estate firms or their own real estate business enterprises. 

ToigoLINK:RE platform drives $2 million to $3 million annually in economic impact for participants entering into full-time roles, Cruz says. The initiative prepares recent graduates to benefit from both the Toigo and Nareit network throughout the arc of their careers.

Sims says Toigo’s coaching model ensures that professionals are job-ready and backed by Toigo’s 35-plus years of proven excellence.

“This isn’t a short-term play. While our immediate focus is on helping individuals enter the industry, our broader interest lies in supporting their long-term success, leadership, and impact,” Sims explains.

Redefining Talent and Opportunity

Ensuring that companies can find students and young professionals with a wide range of personal journeys and perspectives is critical to Toigo’s approach toward helping companies build the workforce of the future. By intentionally welcoming students from every background, Toigo guarantees every voice and viewpoint has a seat at the table. This broader approach, she adds, leads to a dynamic and innovative base of employees and leaders that are ready to tackle the challenges of today while preparing for the opportunities of tomorrow.  

With Nareit’s help, Toigo is working to level the playing field in real estate, giving talented, ambitious individuals access to career opportunities that may have previously seemed out of reach. Together, they’re fueling meaningful, positive change across the industry.