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/164181
CCIM Q&A; Inspired Entrepreneur by Jennifer Norbut David P Ellermann, CCIM . a As an experienced marathon runner, David P. Ellermann, CCIM, managing broker/owner of Ellermann Commercial Brokerage in Chicago, knows the importance of pacing yourself to reach the finish line. Yet his path to the designation, which he earned in just four months, was more like a sprint than a long-distance trek. "That time was very challenging, but the process reminded me that you can push to achieve any goal you set for yourself," Ellermann says. With a concentration on office and industrial sales and leasing, multitenant office dispositions, and tenant representation for the past eight years, Ellermann has experienced some of the best and worst cycles in commercial real estate history. Through it all, he has persevered as an independent broker, inspired in large part by his entrepreneurial father who died of pancreatic cancer at the very beginning of Ellermann's career. CIRE asked him to share the reasons he chose the fast track to the CCIM pin. CIRE: How did you first learn about the CCIM designation? Ellermann: As an active practitioner in my market, I'd heard how prestigious the designation was but did not personally know any CCIMs. Last summer, a client of mine, Gerard J. Keating, CCIM, SIOR, asked me why I hadn't pursued the CCIM designation. He encouraged me to become a candidate not only for the professional networking opportunities and skills to better 12 September | October | 2013 serve my clients, but also to gain access to MailBridge (CCIM's designees-only e-mail marketing platform). As it turns out, it was the best advice I've received in my career since my father passed on. CIRE: What was your path to the pin and what prompted you to move so quickly through the program? Ellermann: Afer completing CI 101, I was surprised I'd gone this long in my career without the knowledge I obtained from just that one course. I was fortunate to receive a CCIM Foundation scholarship for CI 102 and took the remaining courses right away. It was clear to me that earning the designation was a solid investment in myself and my business. I immediately chose to become proactive with CCIM in every way possible and teamed up with two committees in the Illinois CCIM chapter. CIRE: What CCIM educational concepts have been most useful in your daily business? Ellermann: Te combination of investment and financial analysis has been instrumental. Analyzing pro formas and providing advice based on yield requirements before and afer tax with or without leverage are strategies I could not have provided to clients in the past. Tey didn't teach me that in college. Learning and applying the granulars of investment real estate while you are on the front lines is beyond rewarding. The overall curriculum has given me a competitive edge, investment analysis expertise, confdence, and tested and proven competence that I didn't have prior to obtaining the designation. Commercial Investment Real Estate