Commercial Investment Real Estate July/August 2016

“I got visibility and even national expo- sure by meeting CCIM leaders such as for- mer CCIM presidents Karl Landreneau, CCIM, and Wayne D’Amico, CCIM, which allowed me to learn to work in different parts of the country.” Building Community Already a broker with 11 years of experience, David Ellermann, CCIM, discovered CCIM Institute training through a client, Gerard Keating, CCIM, SIOR, who encouraged him to join the CCIM network and earn the des- ignation. “Getting the CCIM designation complemented where I wanted to take my brand, which was to expand my network far beyond my market area,” says Ellermann, managing partner and founder of Ellermann Commercial Brokerage in Chicago. While he closes plenty of transactions with buyers and sellers in Chicago, Ellermann has reached out to the CCIM network to fi nd buyers nationwide. Th rough a contact found in CCIM’s DealShare, the members-only online property database, he sold a Chicago area medical offi ce building in a triple net lease transaction to a client of Rosemarie Fair, CCIM, owner of One Source Commercial, in Memphis, Tenn. “Rosemarie has qualifi ed buyers, and I knew that I could trust in her diligence with the transaction,” he says. In New Orleans, Mi Mi Montagnet Bankston, CCIM, credits CCIM training and networking with making her more suc- cessful. “Th e CCIM education has enhanced my career by adding a level of sophistication to analyzing opportunities and being able to streamline the process,” says Montagnet Bankston, owner of M2 Brokerage. “The CCIM networking makes doing deals easier because you work with professionals you know. Th ey evaluate properties and under- stand disposition and acquisition in a similar Does fashion to how you are trained.” While these CCIMs are under 40 years old, they appreciate the lifelong learning CCIM Institute provides. “Th e education component to CCIM is a diff erentiator,” says Landon Williams, CCIM, vice president of Cushman & Wakefi eld in Memphis, Tenn. “We are strategic brokers considering the long-term welfare of our clients. We are con- tinuing our education each and every day.” Barnett describes the value of the CCIM designation and network in generational terms. “Millennials want to be utility play- ers with a wide base of knowledge,” says Bar- nett, who also serves as a CCIM instructor. “Th e CCIM designation off ers a broad base of knowledge that continues to be benefi cial and applicable to both young and experi- enced professionals.” Sara S. Patterson is executive editor of Com- mercial Investment Real Estate. know you’re a CCIM? Add CCIM as a certification on your LinkedIn profile today. It only takes 30 seconds! “ Right after I added CCIM on my LinkedIn profile, I had several inqui- ries from brokerage firms looking to recruit new talent with quantifiable knowledge and experience. DAVID ELLERMANN, CCIM ” Ellermann Commercial Brokerage | Chicago, IL CCIM.com July | August | 2016 

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