Commercial Investment Real Estate November/December 2017 | Page 25

The first class led to a long-term relationship for
the Institute in China. “I wanted to create an envi-
ronment for our members to be in the same room
with Chinese professionals, so we could do business
together,” says Leung, principal at SPAK Interests
in Houston.
Cultivating Resilience
After several prosperous years in the early 2000s,
the Great Recession hit the industry hard and
affected the finances of the Institute, especially by
2010. The Institute’s annual budget dipped from
$20 million to $13 million.
“We didn’t lose many designees, but we lost many
members who were pursuing the designation,”
says Richard Juge, CCIM, who served as the 2010
Institute president and is president of RE/MAX
Commercial Brokers in Metairie, La. “Our biggest
accomplishment was to keep the designation alive,
while continuing to focus on continuously improv-
ing CCIM courses, technology, and networking.”
Another initiative, the Jay W. Levine Leadership
Development Academy, also survived the economic
downturn. A 2012 JWL alumna and region 6 vice
president, Holly Buchanan, CCIM, learned leader-
ship skills to help her develop effective programs for
the Middle Tennessee Chapter. Most significantly,
she cultivated strong relationships with several
JWL classmates, resulting in business deals.
“Through the JWL training, I learned more
about how to lead people, which has served me well
in business and in life,” says Buchanan, director of
real estate at Katz & Associates in Nashville, Tenn.
Giving Back
While professional associations are known for
delivering knowledge, technology, and connections
to their members, Leil Koch, CCIM, wanted the
Institute to give back to local communities. Dur-
ing his 2012 CCIM presidency, he launched the
CCIM Community Caring Project.
“Giving back to the community brings together
local chapter members, national volunteers, and
staff, while creating recognition for the Institute
locally and nationally,” says Koch, president of
Equity One Real Estate in Lahaina, Hawaii. “Also,
we are doing good work in the communities where
we derive our income.”
Community caring, commitment to updating
technology and CCIM training, and global expan-
sion continue. Under a current initiative, CCIM is
moving forward on obtaining continuing education
credit for five CCIM Ward Center courses in all 50
CCIM.COM
states. The Institute is collaborating with NAR and several NAR affiliates to
target high school and undergraduate students to learn about careers in com-
mercial real estate.
“Collectively, we are launching a comprehensive campaign to promote com-
mercial real estate careers to high school and college students in 2018,” says David
P. Wilson, 2017 CCIM Institute president-elect and partner and executive vice
president at Lockard Development in Cedar Falls, Iowa. “We want to reach stu-
dents when they are thinking about the careers they want to pursue in the future.”
Building the CCIM member pipeline will be crucial to the Institute’s success
during its next 50 years.
Sara S. Patterson is executive editor of Commercial Investment Real Estate.
Pivotal Events in Commercial
Real Estate from 2000 to 2017
Quick Facts About
CCIM Institute
Historical
Milestones
Early 2000s: 2010 to 2017:
CCIM Institute is positioned as the place
to get the real story; the professional
association understands the implications
for the wider world. 2010: First offering of an online core course
• CMBS market became massive and
securitizes many loans, which lessened
scrutiny and increases risk for the
economy.
• The Great Recession began at the end
of 2008, which was a reckoning for too
much capital not being invested wisely.
It marked the downfall of CMBS, the
crash of Lehman Brothers, the U.S.
banks bailout, and the GM rescue, which
positioned the U.S. government as
savior. 2016: First offering of blended core
courses, combining the best of online and
classroom study
2001: The Body of Knowledge Committee
was created to redesign curriculum and
rewrite courses for CCIM designees
2003: First class of the Jay W. Levine
Leadership Development Academy
2007: Launch of elective CCIM courses
2012: Introduction of Community Caring
Programs locally and nationally
2017: CCIM Global Conference was held
in Toronto, Oct. 15–16
Adapting to a shared economy with the
rise of Airbnb and Uber, as well as big
tech companies like Apple and Amazon.
It marked the rise of e-commerce, smart
phones, and social media, as
well as grappling with major
changes in the economy and
society.
• CCIM Institute was
the place to go for the
real story, which had
implications for the wider
world. Amid the volatility, CCIMs
had optimism and knowledge.
• CCIMs’ stronghold was secondary and
tertiary markets.
• CCIMs helped clients with risk mitigation
and cycle reassurance.
• Prizing higher risk, less liquidity in the
market boded well for CCIM Institute.
• New types of commercial real estate
development arose.
• Net lease specialty experts flourished.
• Relevance of loan-to-deposit and
loan-to-value ratios and cap rates for
commercial property sales