Real Estate Forum - October 2015

But it’s not easy. And maybe that’s the point. The incoming president explains that the core coursework involves “160 hours of education, plus electives.” He adds that members seeking the coveted designation typically take up to five years to complete the intensive curriculum. He likens the workload and the intensity to an MBA program. (The coursework required for the CCIM designation is comprised of four core courses and two electives.)

In addition, those seeking the designation must submit a portfolio of qualifying experience that documents at least five years of continuous commercial real estate experience. “The portfolio is a standardized means to verify the quality of potential designees’ work as commercial-investment professionals,” Moreira says.

The upside—and this too is a point stressed by all of the CCIMs we spoke with—is that it’s real-world education taught not by pedagogues but by real estate practitioners, boots-on-the-ground professionals. And because of the nature of work, as well as the technology now available, students have a choice of how they learn and can choose from online or live-class courses, or versions blending both.

A sampling of titles provides a sense of both the rigors and the
breadth of the program: Real Estate Financial Analysis, 1031 Tax
Deferred Exchange, Preparing to Negotiate, User Decision Analysis
for Commercial Investment, Cross-Border Demand and Corporate
Services Representation. The more than 40 courses listed in the
curriculum are all categorized under one of six headings:
Investment, Market Analysis, User Decisions, Business Practices,
Economics and Taxation.

But the opportunity for education doesn’t end there. Any member, in fact any commercial real estate professional, can keep up with market changes through the continuing education series offered by CCIM’s Ward Center for Real Estate Studies. Typical workshops range from a half day to two days in length and are also offered in a variety of online and in-person venues.

“As Steve said, our mission is to elevate our members to the highest level of success,” says Robin Webb, CCIM, managing director for NAI Realvest in Orlando and 2016’s president-elect. “And that means being able to speak whatever language your client engages in.” A CCIM since 1984, Webb also sits on NAI Global’s leadership advisory board.

But it also means flexibility, he
adds: “The market has shifted.
We have to train students to
adjust to those changes and
trends and understand product
within those parameters [See
Sidebar]. We’ll educate almost
10,000 students this year, and
about 4,500 of those will be in
our core courses. So we have to
keep the curriculum current and
constantly reorient and change
case studies.”
Macek agrees that keeping up
with the rapid-fire pace of indus-
try issues and trends is critical to
the very relevance of the associa-
tion. “It’s important that the stra-
tegic plan and its objectives are
constantly evolving,” he says,