Commercial Investment Real Estate is the magazine of the CCIM Institute, the leading provider of commercial real estate education. CIRE covers market trends, current developments, and business strategies within the commercial real estate field.
Issue link: http://cire.epubxp.com/i/143044
CCIM Q&A; System for Success by Jennifer Norbut t The path to the designation is unique for every CCIM. For some, it's a direct dash to the pin. For others, such as Bo Barron, CCIM, vice president of organizational development for Sperry Van Ness International Corp. (www.svn.com), there are a few detours along the way. With family roots in commercial real estate, Barron served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps before pursuing the designation in 2004. As with many CCIMs, Barron's experiences throughout the journey serve as a solid foundation for his career. Commercial Investment Real Estate asked Barron to share some of the milestones he's encountered. CIRE: What skills and experience from your military background add value in your commercial real estate career? Barron: Beyond the beneft of discipline in every area of life and work, three things stand out to me. Te frst is tenacity, which is modeled and valued in the Marine Corps. I am convinced that tenacity is the most important trait required to succeed in commercial real estate. I've only had one easy deal in my career. Every other one has been a challenge. Many times I wanted to quit, but the tenacity and persistence I learned in the service allowed me to push through and successfully serve my clients. Systemization is another crossover skill. The military operates on systems and 12 July | August | 2013 standard operating procedures and applying this to my business has allowed me to achieve a higher level of efciency and productivity. It's important to have checklists for tasks and delegate projects to team all need someone to ask us the hard questions about what we can do to improve. CIRE: As a third-generation commercial real estate pro, what strategies have you learned from your family about how to succeed in the industry? Barron: My father, who is also a CCIM, and my grandfather, who took CCIM courses, passed down the most important thing: A name that has a reputation for providing integrity, hard work, and dedication to our clients, which I strive to uphold. Tey have also shown me the value of education and obtaining not only local market expertise, but best-in-class training through CCIM. Afer I was honorably discharged from the Marines, I went to work for my father. A condition of employment was to earn the designation, and the next week I took my frst CCIM course. New media has changed the game. members whose strengths relate to those tasks. It also involves debriefng afer transactions to understand what went well, what didn't, and how we can improve the system to achieve better results. Finally, accountability is huge. What gets measured and reported improves. Whether we report to a broker, colleague, or coach, we CIRE: As vice president of organizational development for SVNIC, can you share some thoughts on what it takes for brokers to thrive in the current economic climate? Barron: My role is to assist our advisers Commercial Investment Real Estate