Are you one of those CCIM’s who got “pinned” and never went to another meeting again? Maybe even stopped paying your dues but still using the initials after your name? Got a cease and desist letter from Gail?
I’ve heard all of the excuses before…I’m too busy to go to the meeting…I passed the exam, screw them, I earned it!
Well, I beg to differ. And some of you are my friends, you know who you are.
If you have ever seen an ad, had a member of the Leadership Team visit your chapter, or just poked around ccim.com, you will see that for your $595.00 a year you receive about $13,000 worth of benefits. WOW, $13,000 for only $595! And you didn’t even have to use a coupon!
Now, we all know the next line coming….I don’t even use the Site To Do Business….I don’t need your spread sheets….I don’t care about retaking CI-102 over again to update my skills! I still have my abacus (the one you borrowed it from Jay Levine in class and never returned) and it works just fine!
Ok, fine. Neither me nor any of the other CCIM’s you know are going to change your mind. Good for you! Your business card looks great with that e-PRO designation!
Having just returned from the CCIM Mid-Year business meetings in Nashville last week I found myself 1: recharged and 2: with more business opportunities. Let’s examine these seriatim (See, I did remember some Latin Mr. Celapino!)
1. Yes, recharged! You see, some of the closest friends in my life I have come to know through the CCIM Institute. It truly is a family reunion at least twice a year, only better because your cousin Lenny isn’t there!
When you travel to Texas you meet several friends for drinks and dinner and one insists you stay at his house.
You go to a meeting a few days early so you and your wife can hang out with another couple or two.
The kind of friend you talked to every Friday driving home when the market was at the bottom. You already have 2 friends that succumbed to this financial disaster created by the incompetent boobs/criminals in Washington and on Wall Street. They made it once, the second time would have been easier. Just a temporary problem we told each other.
You always end the conversation saying “I love ya brother, hang in there!”
“Yeah man, I love you too! Give your wife a hug for me!”
“I will, you do the same.”
You get a call from one of your CCIM buddies telling you a mutual friend is sick or needs a word of encouragement and needs to be in your thoughts and prayers. You call and end up speaking with his wife, because you know her too….family. The kind of family you greet in the hotel lobby with a hug, not a hand shake.
2. Deals! Isn’t this the entire reason you got into this in the first place? Of course not! You just had nothing better to do with the $12,000 you invested in this education! ROI! Yes, doing more deals, better deals, bigger deals! Deals with people you know, like and trust! Deals!
***DISCLAIMER – The following is a true and accurate account of what has happened in the past week. Names have been changed to protect the innocent, maintain confidentiality, and so those of you who were not there don’t try to snake in on the assignments!
Monday during my 3 hour drive to Nashville:
Call from a CCIM I have never met. “Don, this is Gilbert, I am a CCIM and need to send a deal to KY. Our mutual friend Joe said you were the guy to call.”
“Great, tell me about it.”
“Well, I don’t know too much about it but the asset manager will be calling you for a proposal. He is a close friend and I told him if Joe said you are the man, you are the man! He told me it is probably in the $12 to $15 million range (in reality probably $10 million, but who’s counting). Several properties involved. Send me a referral fee if you work it out.”
“No problem, always happy to pay a referral, by the way, we have to throw some money toward Joe too!”
“Oh, hell yes! Dead presidents for everybody!”
Tuesday lunch:
“Hey Mary, how are you? It’s been too long. What’s up?”
“Oh, I’m so glad I ran into you. I was thinking about you on the flight.”
“Oh really?”
“Ha! You wish! No really, I was. My company is in the middle of acquisition of several properties down there near you. Do you have time to meet when I fly in with my boss to discuss the market, maybe drive us around to look at comparable properties. Maybe your company could handle the leasing for us? You know, we usually do our own, but this is a little far away for our in house team.”
“Sure, just give me the date and I will be there! I’ll buy lunch or drinks!”
“In and out on the same day, company plane you know. We’ll buy lunch, just really grateful to have someone down there I know and trust.”
Wednesday night dinner:
Bill is next to me and lives in an adjoining state. We talk about what we are working on.
“Bill, I have this client who is really expanding his business and is talking about opening his next location in your state about 60 miles south of you. Any ideas of the market down there? He won’t lease, always owns his real estate. 10,000 square feet, near the interstate, you know, like everyone in that business.”
“Holy crap! I have that exact property listed! Bank owned too! They will probably really cut him a deal, especially if your guy will finance with them.”
“I’m sure he will at least let them give him a quote, he didn’t get where he is by being stupid. I just texted him, wants us to drive over late next week.”
Thursday afternoon driving home I call a friend from the southwest:
“Hey Mark, it’s Don. I was just thinking about the REIT you work with, will they buy outside of the southwest?”
“Oh yeah, anywhere! The biggest challenge is assembling their minimum number of units in a particular market. They need a lot!
“I know a fellow CCIM who deals in a lot of that property type in a nearby city. Call you right back.”
5 minutes pass
“Mark, its Don. Yeah, funny thing. He is listing that exact property, meets all of your clients criteria, on Sunday afternoon. I’ll send you his contact information when I get home. I don’t want to get in the middle of your deal, just buy me a steak next time I see you.”
“Thanks, man! Don’t want to buy you a damn steak! My guys pay my fee, I’ll send you a referral fee and I’ll have your buddy do the same. I just appreciate the hook up, makes me look like I’m working while I’m at the bar!
“You were and I was too! I think there are pictures to document that!”
“I thought you deleted those? Hey the flight attendant is given me a dirty look, got to go! I’ll copy you on all emails.”
“Safe travels my friend.”
I’m glad you saved your $595.00!
I’m glad you were too busy! I was too!
Don Sebastian, CCIM 