FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chris Cole Awarded CCIM Designation May 14 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Cole among 103 individuals who earned commercial real estate's global standard for professional achievement.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, May 14, 2021 - Chris Cole, JD, CCIM, Principal Broker of Lorimont Commercial Real Estate in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, recently attained the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation from the CCIM Institute, an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS. The designation was awarded during this year's spring CCIM Comprehensive Exam testing session, which was held across eight locations in the United States and Canada.
Cole was among 103 commercial real estate professionals who earned the designation this spring by passing the CCIM Institute's comprehensive examination, the capstone element in the designation process. This new group of CCIM designees hails from 31 U.S. states and Canada.
"These latest designees join an exclusive global commercial real estate community, one that represents the highest level of expertise, experience, and ethics in the industry," says Timothy S. Blair, CCIM, 2021 global president of CCIM Institute. "That is why people look to the CCIM pin - each of us brings sophisticated analysis and evaluation skills to the table to make the most of every deal while never losing sight of the human factor - our clients and those we work with on a deal."
"The CCIM curriculum has completely changed the way I think about commercial real estate transactions,” Cole said. "As an attorney who drafted commercial real estate contracts and leases in private law practice, I have always felt that I have a different perspective from other commercial real estate brokers because I have put so many deals together from blank sheet of paper to term sheet, letter of intent to full contract, due diligence and contingency resolutions to closing. Now I know that there is so much more to be done before a buyer/tenant or landlord/seller even begins thinking about terms. Each commercial real estate decision – such as, whether to lease or purchase, which property to lease or purchase, whether to hold or sell/dispose, whether to sell and leaseback, and so on – can be compared and analyzed from a financial perspective in a uniform, methodical way so that my clients can maximize their return on their business or investment dollar.”
To earn the CCIM designation, commercial real estate professionals must complete more than 200 hours of case-study-driven education covering topics such as interest-based negotiations, financial analysis, market analysis, user decision analysis, investment analysis, cash flow modeling with financing and tax, and ethics in commercial investment real estate. Candidates must also compile a portfolio demonstrating the depth of their commercial real estate experience and pass a six-hour comprehensive examination.
Learn more about CCIM Institute’s education and designation program at www.ccim.com.
About Lorimont Commercial Real Estate
Lorimont was established in 1993 as one of the first exclusive commercial real estate brokerages in the Southeast Missouri region. Seasoned broker Tom Kelsey, with over 34 years of real estate experience, built the company from the start. In 2018, Chris Cole and Bill Cole acquired the company. Chris, a licensed attorney and broker, and Bill, a former CPA and broker, bring a wealth of real estate experience to Lorimont, while Kelsey remains a very active broker with the firm. Today, this Cape Girardeau based company is the leading commercial real estate brokerage in the region, specializing in all asset types and transactions -- office, retail, industrial, specialty and development land sales and leases.
About CCIM Institute
CCIM Institute created the language of global real estate investment. The Institute's courses and worldwide community deploy commercial real estate investment methodologies and tools that speed the pathway between opportunity, a go/no-go decision, and success for an asset, taught by instructors who are themselves industry leaders. Today, the organization, through its 50-plus chapters, continues to innovate best practices and elevate the commercial real estate professional through its core designation program to earn the CCIM pin — commercial real estate’s most coveted credential — and its topical education courses offered through the Ward Center for Real Estate Studies. In addition, membership in CCIM includes the industry’s best technology and operational platform, allowing entrepreneurial and mid-sized businesses to compete with the largest multinational providers. Today, almost 70 percent of designees hold the title of owner, partner, principal, or president, representing an exclusive worldwide referral network of approximately 13,000 members in 30 countries. Ultimately, CCIM represents a larger vision of the commercial real estate provider, leveraging investment analysis, opinions of value, and underwriting to become a leader in sourcing capital, building a cash-flow vehicle, and ultimately creating value. For more information, visit www.ccim.com.