CCIM designation vs guru training

General Real Estate Investing
1

Hi all,

I am a business owner that is looking to diversify and start to put some earnings into commercial real estate and have begun to educate myself in commercial real estate. I have taken several courses from CCIM and am planning to continue to do so. I just wanted to tell people my experience because I see a lot of people on here asking ( including myself several months ago ) about different gurus or organizations that teach this stuff.

I am finding CCIM to be very professional and geared to teaching not sales. They are very thorough in working you through the principles of understanding these investments. It isn’t cheap, but not as bad as some gurus courses either, and it is a professional designation. To earn the designation, they have to have an extensive portfolio, so these are people that actually do, not just talk.

So if anyone is looking for this kind of education, I thought I would share what I found.

Good luck,

DB

2

Thanks for posting this. Since this is a professional designation that Realtors can earn and list with their other designations, I wouldn’t think of CCIM as gurus. Let us know how it turns out!

3

d_sbrown-what are the qualification for taking the CCIM courses? I just got my RE sales license recently and was wondering if I’m eligible to take some of these courses. if so, where would I begin? thanks for the info.

4

Jake,

There are no qualifications to take the courses, other that paying the tuition. I am not even a realtor and have no licenses, just an investor. The qualifications come in if you are trying to earn the designation.

Check out www.ccim.com

their site has all the info.

I started of with their two day intro class, and then took CI101. I will be taking 102 in June.

DB

5

I was looking at this also. REI is not my primary profession but it’s a good portion of what I do day to day. What I am concerned about is (not being a realtor or broker myself) if my experience in REI would be enough to qualify for the designation. I don’t want to get into the coursework and find out I can’t get the finish because I don’t “day trade” properties or work as a realtor.

I have a question out to them on this but does anyone have any anecdotal facts to this on that part of the qualifications? Thanks.

6

HRD prez, you can’t get the CCIM designation without a certain portfolio of commercial sales transactions (as the broker) under your belt, so if you’re not a commercial realtor or broker you cannot get the designation.

7

Thanks, I figured as much. They term the requirements in terms of dollars and number of transactions which is all well and good but I wish they’d be a little more forthcoming about it.

It always chafes my bum when I pay for a bank-ordered appraisal and their number is within a few thousand of my own. Never assume anyone is any smarter than yourself

8

Prez,

Actually you don’t need to be a broker or realtor to get the designation, You simply have to be involved in a number of deals totaling a certain amount of dollars. The website has the specifics. If you are not a broker, it is harder to get to that designation, because it will all be deals you are doing, not just ones that flow through you fingers to others.

Me personally, I could care less about the designation behind my name, but if you are into the commercial game, there are other advantages that come with membership. For me it is about educating myself before I make too many big mistakes.

DB

9

The format didnt come through but you’ll get the jist of it. Here is the link -
http://www.ccim.com/education/ccim_education/designation_requirements_update.html

New Changes and Additions to the CCIM Designation Requirements
Effective January 1, 2010

2009 Requirements Requirements for Candidates joining after January 1, 2010
or

Candidates that have not earned the designation
Become a Candidate Become a Candidate
Successfully complete all (4) Core Courses Successfully complete all (4) Core Courses (101 & 102 must be taken in sequence and are prerequisites for 103, 104)
Successfully complete CCIM Ethics Course Complete 8 hours of CCIM Negotiations training (in either of the 3 formats offered)
Earn 3 elective credits Successfully complete CCIM Ethics Course
Approved Portfolio of Qualifying Experience Earn 2 elective credits
Successfully complete the Comp Exam Approved Portfolio of Qualifying Experience
Successfully complete the Comp Exam

New requirements are noted in red.

All current candidates in good standing are eligible to complete the designation process under existing requirements as long as the candidates complete the program by December 31, 2010. Current candidates are automatically grandfathered through December 31, 2010.

Candidates that do not earn the designation by December 31, 2010 will be required to complete a new requirement: 8 hours of CCIM negotiations training, offered in 1 or 2 day in class or online.

Based on when students completed CCIM core or elective courses they may be required to enroll in supplemental programs designed to reflect new curriculum concepts in order to apply for the designation. Based on when students completed CCIM core or elective courses they may be required to enroll in supplemental programs designed to reflect new curriculum concepts in order to apply for the designation.

The following courses will require new curriculum concepts – towards the designation beginning January 1, 2011:

CI 101: Courses taken prior to 1992
CI 102: Courses taken prior to 1999
CI 103: Courses taken prior to 2000
CI 104: Courses taken prior to 1999

Candidates that earn the designation in 2010, you’ll be required to complete a new requirement: 8 hours of CCIM Negotiations training (in any of the 3 formats offered) moreover, depending on when you completed CCIM Core Courses, you might be required to enroll in courses designed to reflect new curriculum.

Many elective courses completed prior to 1999 may no longer qualify for elective credit.

If you have any questions regarding the new designation requirements, please contact designation@ccim.com or courseinfo@ccim.com

The CCIM Institute reserves the rights to change its requirements periodically to reflect curriculum and industry changes.

New Designation Requirements Frequently asked Questions
Q: I recently became a candidate (Dec 2008). When do I have to complete the 2009 designation requirements?
A: All current candidates in good standing are eligible to complete the designation process under existing requirements, and are grandfathered through December 31, 2010.

Q: What does CCIM mean by grandfathered?
A: It means current candidates are exempt from completing the January 1, 2010 new designation requirements until December 31, 2010.

Q: What happens if I don’t earn the designation in 2010?
A: If you do not earn the designation in 2010, you’ll be required to complete a new requirement: 8 hours of CCIM Negotiations training (in any of the 3 formats offered) moreover, depending on when you completed CCIM Core Courses, you might be required to enroll in courses designed to reflect new curriculum.

CI 101: Courses taken prior to 1992
CI 102: Courses taken prior to 1999

CI 103: Courses taken prior to 2000

CI 104: Courses taken prior to 1999

Q: What do you mean by Candidate in good standing?
A: This simply means that you are current on your CCIM membership annual dues.

Q: Why did CCIM Institute make the decision to amend the current designation requirements?
A: CCIM Institute has ongoing programs to review and update the education curriculum and designation program to ensure we deliver learning that reflects what’s happening today in the commercial real estate and business arenas.

Q: Are there any exceptions to the new designations requirements?
A: No. CCIM Institute will not make any exceptions to the proposed designation requirements.

10

Get as much training as you can…never stop learning even if 8 9 figures plus in commercial investing -never stop learning. There maybe one new strategy that may triple your past rate of wealth so I keep learning…I love it. I talked to one of the Directors of CCIM it is a great organization with networks and contacts but don’t pass up the Commercial Real Estate Courses -and don’t pass up the mentors doesn’t matter how experienced you are…even the top CEO’s in Fortune 500 have coaches even the best athletes have coaches -I’m sure Michael Jordan could of take Phil Jackson down the hole anytime shouldn’t we have coaches even if we may have more skills in knowledge then them but he or she may think of one thing you didn’t that will save you millions or give you millions…do you have time to throw millions away -no I don’t so -keep learning keep training keep those that are more skilled around you, ideally you want a mentor more skillful than you, keep those who you can teach around you -they bring you new creativity and deals…pay thousands, tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands on education and this will blow you away even a mil to 5 mill plus for a mentor on $100 million plus deals. Would you trade in $1million - $5million to make $50 million $80 million, like as skyscrapper acqusitions and you can make more than that so don’t limit yourself. Finding big players is easy -you have a court house -you have an address -you have a date purchased, you have contact information -and possible mentors.

11

That made me laugh. The other alternative is to go do the surgery and then check the directions?

Seriously, both learning and doing are obviously vital parts of the process. I know that the first things that I got involved in would have looked drasticly different if I had gone to school like this first. I didn’t even know what I didn’t know at the time.

DB

12

It’s funny to me that so many people think that CCIM means broker. It doesn’t.

I’m a senior instructor at the CCIM Institute and have trained investors, lenders, developers, brokers, attorneys, commercial construction experts, corporate real estate directors, and the like.

You probably hear about CCIM from a lot of brokers who’ve earned the designation because they market and advertise it.

I’ve sat through several “GURU” presentations and many of them have said that they were or have been in the process of getting their CCIM designation.

I think it’s great stuff and I’ve made a ton of money from what I’ve learned there and the people I’ve worked with.