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/206598
CCIM Q&A; Influencing Education by Jennifer Norbut Barbara Crane, CCIM e Experience is one of the most valuable assets in a commercial real estate professional's portfolio. For Barbara Crane, CCIM, who was hooked on real estate at just 12 years old, learning the fundamentals was also a family affair. "Back when I was growing up, there were no pre-license classes to attend," she says. "So I helped my mother prepare for the Alabama real estate license exam by reading her multiple-choice questions from a practice exam. I believe I could have passed the exam if only I were old enough to sit for it," jokes Crane, who is currently associate director of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank in San Antonio. With a background in office leasing and Master of Public and Private Management degree, Crane earned the CCIM designation in 2000 and has since shared her passion for commercial real estate and education as a senior instructor for the Institute. Crane was recognized earlier this year for her industry achievements as one of Real Estate Forum magazine's 2013 Women of Influence. Commercial Investment Real Estate asked Crane to share what drives her passion for real estate and education. CIRE: What inspired you to become an instructor for the CCIM Institute? Crane: Teaching for CCIM is extremely rewarding in many ways. First, there is the involvement with the students, which is so exciting. Every time I teach a course, I learn something new from our students related to 12 November | December | 2013 issues they have encountered in their markets and meet fascinating people from all walks of life who are drawn to our courses for myriad reasons. I also love seeing the light bulb appear over someone's head when they realize something I have just said will help them overcome a current struggle. In addition, I truly enjoy working with fellow instructors to continually develop, review, and update our curriculum content to ensure that CCIM is providing the most comprehensive professional commercial real estate training available in the world. Finally, the contacts I have made through CCIM have allowed me to broaden my real estate practice to include involvement with sales of investment properties and a move to San Antonio. CIRE: You were instrumental in the development of CCIM's Advanced Negotiations course. What key elements of the course have the most applicability for commercial real estate professionals? Crane: I served on a CCIM education task force that eventually evolved into the Robert L. Ward Center for Real Estate Studies. Te task force commissioned a survey to determine what skills members wanted to learn more about in our existing courses. Overwhelmingly, members said they wanted negotiations training. As a result, we developed the Advanced Negotiations course to focus exclusively on interest-based negotiations. Te model is designed to ensure the best possible out- Commercial Investment Real Estate