Commercial Investment Real Estate July/August 2016 | Page 22

CCIM
EDUCATION
Young and Successful
by Sara S. Patterson
Young commercial real estate professionals always look for ways
to boost their credibility and practical knowledge to succeed in this
competitive and primarily commission-based industry. For many,
acquiring the CCIM designation, becoming leaders in their local
CCIM chapters, and serving the national CCIM Institute have been
the panacea to spur their careers as either independent owners or
key players at infl uential fi rms.
By the age of 26, Peter Barnett, CCIM, had
already been at his father’s fi rm, J.A. Barnett
Realty Group, for eight years specializing in
multifamily and class B offi ces, and earned
his CCIM designation. A few years later, he
wanted to move into corporate commercial
real estate, negotiating lease transactions and
interacting in a broader marketplace with
asset managers and corporate executives.
“When I fi rst got my CCIM designation,
I knew it was applicable to being a broker,”
says Barnett, director of real estate at Price-
waterhouseCoopers LLP in Tampa, Fla. “But
I was concerned the CCIM designation was
not going to be as applicable in the corporate
world. But I quickly discovered that I needed
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July | August | 2016
it at PwC, too. Th e CCIM designation has
been extremely helpful at my fi rm, particu-
larly because credentialing is important to
everyone. At PwC, credentialing is the new
way to both guarantee and advertise that you
have the knowledge that continues to be ben-
efi cial and applicable for your clients.”
Enhancing Credibility
James Milner, CCIM, was not born into the
industry but discovered it by coincidence
when working as a paralegal. His fi rm wrote
a commission check to a broker for $75,000.
“I thought that I could do this work,” says
Milner, president of Appalachian Commer-
cial Real Estate, in Boone, N.C.
Aft er getting his broker’s license in 2007,
he looked at various professional designa-
tions and made the commitment to earn the
CCIM designation. “CCIM is a community
that helps each other and works together for
the common good of the client,” Milner says.
“My clients have come to know that those
four letters behind my name mean that I
am not only an expert, but someone they
can rely on for sound common sense advice
regarding the complexities of commercial
real estate.”
Heading up NAI Norwood Group in Bed-
ford, N.H., Christopher Norwood, CCIM,
believes that earning the CCIM designation
helps him provide a better level of service to
his clients. In addition, it has opened doors for
him. “I can call vice presidents and presidents
of banks and know they will return my call
because of my CCIM designation,” he says.
In his mid-20s, Norwood became chap-
ter president of the New England CCIM
Chapter, giving back to the profession
and learning how to be a leader. “I took away
even more than I gave to CCIM,” he says.
Commercial Investment Real Estate
y
CCIM training and networking play crucial roles in
building fl edgling CCIM designees’ success.