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| Michael Bull |
ATLANTA, GA (Sept. 3, 2013) – Joining and
being active in a commercial real estate association is a highly effective way
for those in the industry to learn best practices, network and gain insider
knowledge.
That was the
consensus of a panel of experts on the most recent episode of the “Commercial
Real Estate Show” radio program, hosted by Michael Bull of Bull Realty.
Bull and his guests discussed three different organizations: the International
Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the Certified Commercial Investment Member
(CCIM) Institute and the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
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| Jay Starr |
ICSC offers
education, advocacy, research and networking to more than 62,000 members
worldwide, said Jay Starr, senior staff vice president and chief global
marketing officer for the organization. The core membership includes shopping
center owners, developers, retailers and lending institutions, but ICSC also
includes companies that supply products and services to its core member base.
A willingness
among ICSC members to share best practices is one of the strengths of the
organization, Starr said. “Rarely is there an association where members actually
teach each other best practices, considering that they might be competing the
next day,” he said. The giant national RECon convention, which attracted more
than 35,000 attendees in 2013, is another thing that sets ICSC apart, Starr
said.
 |
| Wayne D'Amico |
The CCIM Institute
provides educational and networking opportunities for brokers, appraisers,
property managers, asset managers and employees of major corporations such as
Walmart and General Electric, said Wayne D’Amico, president of the
organization.
To earn the CCIM
designation, real estate practitioners must complete a curriculum of four
courses and several electives, and also complete a certain number of
transactions to prove they’re putting their knowledge to use in the real world.
Finally, they must take a comprehensive exam.
“The rights,
privilege and honor of being a CCIM and having a whole network of people around
the country who achieved that designation is a very powerful benefit,” D'Amico
said. CCIMs also have access to a variety of innovative demographic and
geospatial technology products that the Institute has developed.
 |
| Jim Helsel |
NAR is one of the
largest real estate organizations, with more than 1 million members, and
approximately 230,000 of those members are involved in the commercial real
estate industry. Members include brokers, realtors, property managers,
appraisers and counselors.
NAR offers
advanced educational opportunities and training in real estate specialties.
Recently, NAR was given university status, which allows the association to
confirm master’s degrees in several areas in real estate, said Jim Helsel,
commercial liaison for NAR.
It’s a common
misconception that every real estate licensee is a REALTOR, but Helsel said
that is not the case. “You have to be a member of NAR to be a REALTOR,” he
said. “We subscribe to a strict code of ethics that spells out the professional
responsibility we have to our clients and customers as well as other
professionals and the general public.”
The entire show on
associations is available for download at
www.CREshow.com.
The next “Commercial Real Estate Show” will be available on Sept. 5 and will
feature an update on The Federal Reserve Bank's view of commercial real estate.
For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please
contact:
Stephen Ursery
The Wilbert Group
404.405.2354
