We talk a lot about the CCIM designation on this show, and with good reason. It’s considered by many to be the Ph.D. of real estate, and earning the CCIM badge is no light task.
A bunch of those Ph.D.’s will be gathering here in South Florida on Jan. 21 for the 2015 CCIM Commercial Real Estate Outlook Conference at the Coral Gables Country Club.
We’ll be broadcasting live from the conference, and it just so happens that will be our 300th Fried On Business show. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate it.
The event is hosted by the CCIM Miami District, and board member Paul White of KW Commercial recently joined us to discuss it.
The CCIM Miami District was active for about a year before White and his colleagues developed the idea for a different kind of conference – something that was focused on commercial real estate, hit many different market disciplines, and featured the folks who were actually in the market doing the deals.
I can attest that the annual conference really is a valuable marketplace. It allows me to get reacquainted with my professional friends, some of whom I may see in person only once a year.
This year’s event features a keynote from George Ratiu, a researcher with the National Association of REALTORS, who will provide an economic forecast for South Florida.
“He spoke for us two years ago and was well-received. He did great research on Miami and what’s happening in our marketplace,” White said.
Appearing for the first time will be well-known real estate consultant Lewis Goodkin. He’ll be the conference futurist, White said, and will wrap up the event with what he sees for the Miami market.
Why earn a CCIM?
When White set out to earn the CCIM, he wanted an education. But he found much more – a network of knowledgeable commercial brokers from around the country where he could give and receive referrals.
The education was also valuable, White said, learning about property analysis, cap rates, internal rates of return, and more.
“It was a fantastic education that really rounded out my real estate career,” he said.
Although he would never mention it unless you ask, White was a big-shot in the CCIM organization. He served as president of the Florida chapter, which is the largest in the U.S. with more than 700 members.
How is the market?
While I had a few minutes with him, I had to ask White about what he sees in the South Florida commercial real estate market.
He said this is his seventh recession. It’s the slowest recovery of them all, but momentum is building and it seems the market is on the cusp of bursting. There are some very strong markets out there, he said.
Even office is picking up, and he’s hoping it will catch up with the other market segments this year.
“I think we’re at the point now where we’re really going to soar,” White said.
There are lots of ways to find CCIMs like Paul White, but probably the best way is to visit CCIM.com and click on the “Networking” tab.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Paul White, CCIM, of KW Commercial in Miami and learn more about the 2015 CCIM Commercial Real Estate Outlook Conference.
