The Real Estate Emerging Managers (“REEM”) Summit
January 10-11, 2024
Austin, TX

The REEM Summit will create an interactive platform for real estate pension fund investors to interact with one another and share ideas in a protected environment. The innovative format for this program will be one that truly encourages dialogue and relationship building in the institutional real estate community. One of the primary goals of this event is to create an affordable venue for second and third time real estate emerging managers to share their insights and wisdom with first time funds, as well as for all real estate emerging managers to obtain meaningful feedback from investors. The Summit will provide many opportunities for intensive discussions and networking with peers.

Summit Hosts

Employees Retirement System of Texas 

Employees Retirement System of Texas (“ERS”) enhances the lives of our participants through the delivery of quality benefits at a reasonable cost. ERS administers retirement, health, and other insurance benefits, TexFlex, a tax-savings flexible benefit program, and 401(k) and 457 investment accounts as part of the Texa$aver Program. We also manage and invest the ERS Trust for the sole benefit of retirement system members.

In 1947, Texas established retirement benefits for state appointed officers and employees. Since that time, ERS benefit retirement plans have provided a stable source of income for retired State of Texas employees, law enforcement officers, judges, and elected officials.

ERS manages retirement trust assets of approximately $34 billion on behalf of state employees and retirees, who are the beneficiaries of the Trust. Investment returns continue to be the largest funding component of retirement benefits, accounting for 60% of the value of the ERS Trust. 

ERS also manages health benefits for more than half a million public employees, retirees, and their families through the Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (GBP). Funding for retirement benefits provided under the GBP is determined every two years and is paid for through member and employer contributions.

The state health care and retirement plans are a good investment. The trust fund invests in Texas businesses, and retirees spend the vast majority of their retirement funds in Texas. The benefits provide a significant economic benefit in every community in Texas, from small towns to big cities, every time a participant pays for health care services.

Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) has been serving the needs of Texas public education employees for more than 85 years. The mission of TRS is to improve the retirement security of TRS members by prudently investing and managing the Trust assets and delivering benefits that make a positive difference in their lives. This includes pension benefits as well as high-value health insurance plans.

More than 38,000 eligible teachers participated during TRS' first year of existence. That membership has rapidly grown along with the Texas population to nearly two million active and retired beneficiaries today. One in 20 Texans is a member of TRS.

The original responsibility of TRS was to provide service and disability retirement benefits to teachers and administrators of the public school systems of Texas, including institutions of higher education. Over the years, that responsibility has expanded to include all public school employees including support staff such as cafeteria employees and bus drivers, for example.

TRS is responsible for investing funds under its stewardship and for delivering benefits to members as authorized by the Texas Legislature. TRS is a defined benefit plan, with retirement benefits determined by a pre-established formula. In fiscal year 2022, TRS paid over $12.9 billion in pension benefits to more than 471,000 participants and their beneficiaries.

The trust fund is sustained principally by three sources: contributions by members during their working careers, contributions by the state, and investment revenues. Three-fifths of the fund’s revenues currently come from investment revenues. The fund’s assets under management (AUM) are nearly $180 billion (as of Dec. 31, 2022).

TRS is the largest public retirement system in Texas in both membership and assets, and the sixth largest public pension fund in the United States.

Invitation-Only

This event is designed to be “invitation-only” in order to ensure an appropriate mix of real estate emerging managers and investors. This invitation is valid only for the named recipient. If you have received information about this event and are interested in receiving an invitation, please contact info@reemsummit.com and we will do our best to accommodate you.