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Tools of the Trade
Industry association equips commercial real estate professionals with the technology needed to help their clients succeed. By Linda Popovich
“Location, location, location.” That’s long been real estate’s standard mantra for a property’s perceived value and appeal. But in today’s challenging and ever-changing marketplace, that is no longer the case. Thanks to emerging technology innovations offered by the Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute (CCIM), top real estate professionals are now better equipped to assist their clients in navigating through a real estate market with a more complex mantra: “Location, timing and demographics.” Headquartered in Chicago, the CCIM Institute was founded in 1954 to provide education and networking opportunities for commercial real estate professionals. Members can select classes to satisfy continuing education requirements or choose to pursue the esteemed CCIM designation, which requires more than 160 hours of case-study-driven education. CCIM designees include brokers, leasing professionals, investment counselors, asset managers, appraisers, corporate real estate executives, property managers, developers, institutional investors, commercial lenders, attorneys, bankers, and other allied professionals. Colliers International has 217 CCIM designees, as well as an additional 81 candidates. The CCIM designation emphasizes practical application of a core body of knowledge. Earned by approximately 6 percent of commercial real
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The CCIM
designation is one of the most respected designations in the industry.
knowledge leader summer 2011
estate professionals, it is awarded to those who have successfully completed a high-caliber educational program and have proven experience in the field. Skill sets include financial analysis, market analysis, user-decision analysis, investment analysis, ethics and interest-based negotiation. The CCIM designation is one of the most respected designations in the industry, and, as such, equips its members—the top performers in the industry—with the most forward-thinking technology today, including STDBonline, CCIMREDEX and MailBridge.
STDBonline STDBonline—or Site To Do Business Online— is a resource for market information and trends. The Web-based application provides access to a variety of information, including demographic reports, retail market potential, tapestry segmentation, consumer spending, business list data, thematic mapping, traffic counts and satellite imagery. STDBonline can be used in many ways. Quick Maps allows professionals to find a location using a variety of data, and provides users with detailed street maps, aerial images, hybrid maps, topographical maps and flood-plain maps. Map reports can be used in marketing materials or imported into a variety of software, including Microsoft Office products. Clients looking to buy or lease space can benefit from a specific, research-driven, targeted list of potential properties that fit their needs, while executive summary reports give clients key demographic attributes for a specified area, helping with site selection and providing market analysis. The program also provides trend data spanning a 10- to 20-year time frame, allowing users who are strategizing future investments to quickly determine whether a market is improving or deteriorating.
CCIMREDEX Released in 2010, the CCIM Real Estate Data Exchange (CCIMREDEX) is an all-in-one platform that analyzes, prospects and markets real property assets. Through numerous third-party prospecting, marketing and analysis tools, the program provides CCIM designees with the capability to create professional listing presentations and packages for prospecting or marketing, including flyers, Flash websites, e-books, investment and lease analysis, online auction services and online project collaboration. In addition, CCIMREDEX distributes property listings to numerous national and regional Commercial Information Exchanges (CIEs) and listing syndications, providing a cost-effective and efficient marketing method for maximum exposure.
MailBridge Utilizing CCIM’s worldwide network of professionals, MailBridge is an opt-in email platform that provides members with a preference-matching contact system within the United States and internationally. CCIM designees can set location preferences, including state or country, and message types, like property “haves” or “wants,” depending on whether their clients are looking to buy or sell. Because each member is setting similar preferences, MailBridge ensures that the professional’s email—sent from his or her own email address— is reaching the appropriate recipients, providing a much more targeted marketing effort. For example, if you have a property in California that a client is interested in selling, MailBridge sends your email listing to people interested in purchasing similar properties. CCIM members can also send general messages under specific categories and subjects, such as “Analysis: How do I analyze this...?” or “Expertise: I’m looking for someone with expertise in...” They can also send Marketplace messages such as: “Financial Want: I need capital financing for...” or “Service Want: I need a property management firm in...” or “Appraisal Vendor: We do appraisals...” All three of these online tools enable CCIM designees to cut through the noise of the real estate market, honing in on only those opportunities that best meet their clients’ needs. For information on the CCIM Institute, its course offerings and technology tools, visit www.ccim. com or call 312.321.4460. K L knowledge-leader.com