Commercial Investment Real Estate September/October 2019 | Page 15

What’s unique, despite these considerations, is the demand. Investors are still flocking here. We are seeing international interest because California is still considered relatively inex- pensive compared to other parts of the world. Besides, look at the companies that are in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, specifically Facebook, Apple, Google, and Amazon. These are companies that are supporting the global economy. There are reasons why the economy is so strong and the real estate is so expensive in this area. CIRE: How has the CCIM designation helped you in the past five years? Chong: Because I started my brokerage in residential, though I have invested in multifamily properties and have helped clients do so, people may have the prejudice that I do not understand commercial real estate analysis. But getting that CCIM designation and being involved in the community, I changed those perceptions. I wasn’t just someone who is a residential or commercia-dential broker; I understood the complexities of commercial real estate. Back when I finished my CI101 course in 2012, I immediately used what I learned in performing 10-year analyses for my clients. CIRE: How much of your business is now commercial? AT&T WORK CENTER PORTFOLIO AUCTION Birmingham, AL Villa Rica, GA Chicago Heights, IL Lafayette, LA Appleton, WI Brooksville, FL Chicago, IL Jacksonville, FL Euclid, OH Chong: Right now, it’s about 65 percent residential and 35 per- cent commercial — mostly multifamily. But I do handle retail, office, and industrial. I firmly believe people should focus on their expertise, which for me is multifamily sales. Still, I am happy to partner with another broker who excels in a specific area of the market. I enjoy that collaboration quite a bit. CIRE: CCIM Institute is hoping to push the industry to become more diverse. From your perspective, as a woman of color, what can the industry do to become more inclusive? Why is it so important to attract real estate professionals from different backgrounds and experiences? 30+ Surplus Assets Most With Leasebacks Located throughout the Midwest and Southeast, many are in infill locations and have potential for significant redevelopment - some are in Opportunity Zones! Chong: What CCIM is doing by featuring all ethnicities and genders is a big step toward diversity. To me, diversity is a deci- sion I make. What I mean is that I am pretty far from what’s con- sidered the general perception of a CRE professional — whether because of my ethnicity, my gender, my age, whatever it is. I remember when I first started going into these meetings; to be honest, I felt awkward. Also being a residential broker at the same time, I thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t even be here.” But if I had told myself I shouldn’t be there because I didn’t fit in, then I would not be here today. I always feel like diversity is a choice, stemming from within us first. I can choose to be in a profession where I stay among people with a profile similar to mine. But this is where I want to be. These are the goals I want to achieve, and this is what I needed to do. Properties Auction October 16 - 25 Bid On Site or Online at auctionnetwork.com Prefer Not to Wait for the Auction? Submit a Pre-Auction Offer! View All Properties, Photos, Auction Details and Due Diligence at williamsauction.com/ATT 800.801.8003 5% BUYER’S PREMIUM. Nicholas Leider is senior content editor of Commercial Investment Real Estate. Contact him at [email protected]. CIRE 3.625 x 9.5 September | October 2019 CIREMAGAZINE.COM ATT_CIRE_3.625x9.5.indd 1 13 8/15/2019 10:04:47 AM