Commercial Investment Real Estate November/December 2017 | Page 23

“Every step has helped me to improve myself,” Rosa-Pagan says. “I can market better and conduct more research. My clients are happier because I’ve used what I learned in CCIM courses to help them.” Rosa-Pagan also is a broker in the commercial division of RE/MAX Divine Properties in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he hopes to be the first CCIM in his office. Jackson Berry, who began his military career in Air Force ROTC at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, has been a reservist at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo., since 2012. He’s also worked in commercial real estate in Grand Junction, Colo., where he serves as associate broker and property manager at Red Com- pass Realty. His CCIM courses “really help me to understand the full cycle of real estate — from the purchase through management and adding value to the property — all the way through the close.” Berry finds that his military skills have blended well with his coursework. “I did a lot of research, analysis, and writing in my military career,” he says. Jeremy Otto is an agent at Coldwell Banker Action in Scho- field, Wis. After six years in the U.S. Army, he left in 2009. Otto believes the CCIM designation will help differentiate him in his market. “The coursework is rigorous and challenging,” Otto says, “but it definitely opens up your mind.” When he arrived at the CCIM designation course in Chicago, “In my area alone, we have about 10,000 people getting out of the military every year. Some percentage of them will be interested in commercial real estate, and CCIM isn’t just an accreditation, it’s an education. It can be a good fit for certain veterans getting out.” — Jeff Guild “I didn’t assume that there would be other veterans,” Otto says. “I thought I was going to be the only one. But when you do get to be around other veterans, it’s a bonding experience.” Rosa-Pagan concurs. “With our background, we’re going to apply the same things that we did when we were in the mili- tary — teamwork and strategy. That’s a very strong tie that all veterans are going to have.” Sarah Hoban is a freelance writer in the Chicago metro area. YOUR LOUISIANA CONNECTION NAI Latter & Blum is Louisiana’s Market Leader in commercial real estate and provides exceptional expertise and full service to New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles and across the Gulf South. “As a past president and senior instructor with CCIM Institute, I can proudly say with confidence that NAI Latter & Blum is the ideal partner for any CCIM member in the Louisiana area.” - Karl Landreneau, CCIM Karl Landreneau, CCIM Director, Commercial Sales & Leasing [email protected] CCIM.COM November | December 2017 21