CCIM CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT
By Nicholas Leider
AMY SMITH
Amy Smith
A
Texan through and through , Smith began her lifelong interest in the built environment through her father ’ s construction business . After earning a degree in psychology , she started her career in finance , including construction , oil and gas , and ranch management accounting .
Now that she ’ s completed all her coursework and is preparing her portfolio , Smith hopes to sit for the CCIM Comprehensive Exam later this year . Commercial Investment Real Estate spoke with Smith about her journey into commercial real estate and toward the CCIM designation .
CIRE : WHAT EXPERIENCE , PROFESSION- ALLY AND PERSONALLY , LED YOU TO SEEK THE CCIM DESIGNATION ?
AMY SMITH : Over 15 years ago , I started my journey assisting my parents as they developed and grew their commercial properties . Mac McClure was the instructor for my CCIM 101 class , and later , I had the opportunity to work for McClure Partners , while also earning my MBA . Due to some changes in the 2008 economy as well as my personal life , I returned to the private sector but continued to pursue the CCIM designation . My passion for commercial real estate has continued to grow , and , as soon as I had an opportunity , I transitioned back to becoming a full-time real estate agent .
CIRE : WHAT WAS THE AHA ! MOMENT WHEN YOU KNEW IT WAS WORTH THE TIME AND EFFORT ?
SMITH : My brother-in-law had taken the 101 class and suggested that my father and I take one of the classes . He was aware of both my desire to learn more about commercial real estate and also my parents ’ plans to continue developing their properties . My father and I drove to Austin , Texas , for the two-day intro class . I was impressed by the training and the education . Every property is different , but one of the first things I learned with this education is how to truly compare those investment options and select the best one . I quickly realized that this was going to be a differentiator in my real estate career . I knew I wanted to continue !
CIRE : HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO PUT YOUR EDUCATION TO USE ? HOW HAS THE DESIGNATION CURRICULUM IMPACTED YOUR PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES ?
SMITH : At the beginning , I used this knowledge when purchasing my first rental property . The CCIM education that I had completed at that time helped to ensure my decisions were on track and lessened the stress of that first purchase . I have continued to use this education with additional purchases , as well as assisting my clients with the necessary information to help them make the best decision .
I was working with a client who owned a multi-tenant property for many years . We discussed options of replacing it with another property , but in the end , they were ready to sell . Their assumptions for the
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COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE SPRING 2021