CCIM
N
ick Miner, senior vice president of Orion Investment Real Estate is no stranger to Certified Commercial Investment Membership Institute (CCIM). Since acquiring his CCIM Designation in 2003, Miner has served as board member, member services chairman, presidential liaison, on the Strategic Planning Committee, Ward Center for Real Estate Studies subcommittee vice chair, Marketing Committee vice chair and has served on the Executive Committee. It’s no wonder, then, that Miner is a strong proponent not simply of CCIM, but also for the designation process. CCIM, for those unfamiliar, allows professionals across the commercial and investment real estate platform to stay current, educated and armed with the latest skills within their wheelhouse—and even beyond. CCIM Designation is the process in which candidates receive an in-depth education constructed out of required courses, a comprehensive exam, annual dues and a portfolio of qualifying experience (with the exception of Fast Track Members).
IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN “Think of CCIM as the master’s program of commercial real estate,” explains Miner. “It gives professionals an opportunity to learn underwriting in commercial real estate transactions, from demographic, financial, market and investment analysis to negotiation skills.” Designation participants learn these skills from practicing professionals within the business. “Experts are always being selected from related commercial real estate fields to teach classes, keeping people up to date in the latest trends,” Miner says. Past local Arizona CCIM President Julie Johnson, executive vice 60 | May-June 2016
“Think of CCIM as the master’s program of commercial real estate, It gives professionals an opportunity to learn underwriting in commercial real estate transactions, from demographic, financial, market and investment analysis to negotiation skills.” – Nick Miner, senior vice president of Orion Investment Real Estate
president of Avison Young, is one such notable expert. “I started by having to travel to every single class, so in an effort to stay closer to home, I started working with an institute to hold classes with our local CCIM chapter,” Johnson explains. “I ended up partnering with the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors. We continued that partnership for about 10 years and grew the classes to where we had a core group of people.”
TAPPING INTO THE NETWORK “The networking component when you are young and working in the commercial real estate industry is important,” Miner says. “It can be hard to get people to trust you without having longevity of experience in the industry.” Miner elaborates that the networking that comes from CCIM Designation offers added credibility and differentiation.
“We recommend people,” says Bonnie Halley, senior vice president and associate broker of Phoenix West Commercial, LLC. “When you have a client out of state, you can call someone who has been through the process — someone ethical and who has experience — a CCIM member.” Johnson has several first-hand experiences in the benefits of national networking through CCIM. “I had a Chicago-based developer who purchased an asset out of Washington D.C. in senior housing,” Johnson says, “All I had to do was simply go on the CCIM site and locate someone and connect with them. It’s a great help.” Because CCIM is a close-knit organization, there is the added benefit of a consistent language and fluidity in networking. “Several clients found out I was CCIM and they were excited and confident in my ability to perform certain tasks,” Miner says.