Commercial Investment Real Estate September/October 2013 - Page 14

CCIM
Q&A
Inspired
Entrepreneur
by Jennifer Norbut
David P. Ellermann, CCIM
a
As an experienced marathon runner, David P. Ellermann, CCIM,
managing broker/owner of Ellermann Commercial Brokerage in
Chicago, knows the importance of pacing yourself to reach the
fi nish line. Yet his path to the designation, which he earned in just
four months, was more like a sprint than a long-distance trek. “That
time was very challenging, but the process reminded me that you
can push to achieve any goal you set for yourself,” Ellermann says.
With a concentration on offi ce and industrial sales and leasing,
multitenant offi ce dispositions, and tenant representation for the
past eight years, Ellermann has experienced some of the best and
worst cycles in commercial real estate history. Through it all, he
has persevered as an independent broker, inspired in large part
by his entrepreneurial father who died of pancreatic cancer at the
very beginning of Ellermann’s career. CIRE asked him to share the
reasons he chose the fast track to the CCIM pin.
CIRE: How did you fi rst learn about
the CCIM designation?
Ellermann: As an active practitioner in
my market, I’d heard how prestigious the
designation was but did not personally
know any CCIMs. Last summer, a client
of mine, Gerard J. Keating, CCIM, SIOR,
asked me why I hadn’t pursued the CCIM
designation. He encouraged me to become a
candidate not only for the professional net-
working opportunities and skills to better
12
September | October | 2013
serve my clients, but also to gain access to
MailBridge (CCIM’s designees-only e-mail
marketing platform). As it turns out, it was
the best advice I’ve received in my career
since my father passed on.
CIRE: What was your path to the pin
and what prompted you to move so
quickly through the program?
Ellermann: Af er completing CI 101, I was
surprised I’d gone this long in my career
without the knowledge I obtained from just
that one course. I was fortunate to receive
a CCIM Foundation scholarship for CI 102
and took the remaining courses right away.
It was clear to me that earning the desig-
nation was a solid investment in myself
and my business. I immediately chose to
become proactive with CCIM in every way
possible and teamed up with two commit-
tees in the Illinois CCIM chapter.
CIRE: What CCIM educational
concepts have been most useful in
your daily business?
Ellermann: T e combination of invest-
ment and financial analysis has been
instrumental. Analyzing pro formas and
providing advice based on yield require-
ments before and af er tax with or with-
out leverage are strategies I could not
have provided to clients in the past. T ey
didn’t teach me that in college. Learning
and applying the granulars of investment
real estate while you are on the front
lines is beyond rewarding. The overall
curriculum has given me a competitive
edge, investment analysis expertise, conf -
dence, and tested and proven competence
that I didn’t have prior to obtaining the
designation.
Commercial Investment Real Estate