Readers see the CCIM and SIOR designations after many of our brokers’ names, but most may not know the value and significance of earning those designations.

The CCIM Institute is an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). The Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation is awarded to professionals who complete four weeklong courses on market analysis, financial and investment analysis, ethics and negotiation. Designees must pass exams for each course of study, submit qualifying transactions and projects which demonstrate a high level of experience and competency, and pass a comprehensive exam.

The CCIM network includes over 8000 designees across the United States and internationally. This provides an excellent network of knowledgeable and experienced professionals who can work together to bring local market knowledge to their clients. The Institute also provides its designees access to a wide variety of technical services such as demographics reports, mapping tools and financial analysis programs. Professionals with the CCIM designation are recognized within the industry as having taken some of the best educational classes available. Our own Jerry Heinrichs was the first person in Nebraska to receive the CCIM, in 1975. We now have nine CCIMs at IRI.

The Society of Office and Industrial Realtors (SIOR) is also an affiliate of NAR. SIOR was started as the Society of Industrial Realtors. During World War ll the organization thrived because the War Production Board asked for help in locating existing manufacturing facilities.

2016 marks the 75th anniversary of the Society. Today the SIOR designation, much like the CCIM, requires completion of industry-specific course work, ethics training and submission of completed transactions demonstrating a high level of experience in an area of specialty.

SIOR specifically designates recipients as Office or Industrial specialists, so that clients and others know that the SIOR has an area of specialization in which they are highly trained and experienced.

Professionals with the SIOR designation are recognized by corporate real estate executives, lenders and commercial brokers as some of the most capable and experienced brokers in the market. There are only 3000 designees nationally. SIOR also provides a network of cooperating brokers across the country to call on when local expertise is needed.

Four brokers at IRI hold the designation including Steve Farrell, RJ Neary, Tim Kerrigan and Ryan Zabrowski.

This article appeared in our quarterly newsletter from September of 2016. The full newsletter is available at http://files.investorsomaha.com/download/online_newsletter_9-2016.pdf