Commercial Investment Real Estate July/August 2016 | Página 15

In addition, you have to keep in mind that housing for our diplomats must be close enough for them to get to work safely and for their children to attend good schools. We are always working to meet both the residential and offi ce needs of our posts, so this presents its own series of challenges when looking for property. CIRE: What advice do you have for brokers who deal in volatile global markets? Lauster: You must keep a close eye on the currencies, and you have to be a bit of a prognosticator. You are evaluating the decisions the host government is making and how they could affect your clients, whether abroad or here in the U.S. You are also trying to fi gure out if this foreign government is going more to the left or to the right. Are they becoming more pro- business? Or will they try and exert more “You are evaluating the decisions the host government is making and how they could affect your clients, whether abroad or here in the U.S.” control, maybe raise taxes, or otherwise make it diffi cult to do business there? CIRE: How has the CCIM designation helped you to adapt your skills to global acquisitions? Lauster: When I took this position, I knew I wanted my CCIM designation because I knew I was not equipped for the commercial transactions in which I would be involved. The quality of the CCIM training and instructors is outstanding. CCIM instructors are knowledgeable, engaged, active in the market, and they aren’t just there to teach. They are actually doing business on their own, which I think is an enormous part of instructors being eff ective. Th ey are in the trenches themselves, so they know what really works in practice. Samuel S. Moon is media relations manager at CCIM Institute. Log on at CCIM.com/dealshare. (Formerly MailBridge) The CCIM Institute’s new preference-matching property marketing platform helps you do more business. New features include: • • • • • CCIM.com Searchable property archive Geo-coded listings Customizable dashboard Email digest options Posts by CCIM Institute candidate members July | August | 2016 