The National Association of Realtors® and The CCIM Institute are teaming up for the C5 + CCIM Global Summit, a live event taking place in Atlanta from Sept. 28-30. In anticipation of NAR’s annual commercial real estate event in 2023, Connect CRE spoke with David Schnitzer, partner at Ascend Commercial Real Estate and president of The CCIM Institute, for a sneak peek at the summit and why face-to-face interactions are crucial in today’s market.
Q: As someone who is both a partner at Ascend Commercial Real Estate and president of The CCIM Institute, what is your perspective on current market conditions?
A: Market conditions vary depending on location and sector. Office space has seen declines due to challenges with returning to work as expected by company owners and landlords. However, other sectors such as industrial (especially last-mile logistics) have remained strong while retail has been thriving except for some urban areas. When it comes to office space specifically nationwide though there are differences between northern states versus southern Sunbelt states where return-to-work numbers have been higher.
Retail continues to do well because it hasn’t been overbuilt like other sectors have experienced over the past few decades which has helped during this time as well as previous economic downturns.
Q: With these current market conditions in mind,is exchanging ideasand best practices especially importantfor industry professionals?
A: Absolutely! Deals get done through relationships built through face-to-face interactions more than anything else.I’ve personally completed many deals thanks to personal connections rather than online or phone communication.This is what our industry thrives on – building relationships – which organizations likeCCIMare based upon.
Q:NARandTheCCIMITInstitute will be partnering together fortheC5GlobalSummit.What ledtothis partnershipandwhyisnowtheopportune timeforit?
A:The C5 Global Summit marks our first conference collaboration with NAR, however we have had a longstanding partnership as an affiliate and institute of NAR. We are proud to be associated with them.
This summit will not only benefit CCIM members but the industry as a whole through its impressive lineup of speakers, panels and keynotes. Attendees can take this valuable information back to their own communities and clients. Additionally, the face-to-face networking opportunities with professionals outside of one’s immediate area is invaluable.
Q: Finally, what are some benefits for CCIM Designeesandindustryprofessionalsin generalattendingtheSummit?
A: The property tours offered at this summit provide great insight into other markets which attendees can then apply in their own areas.Additionally there will be two educational courses available before the conference begins that morning – an incredible opportunity for attendees to leverage CCIM’s educational offerings.
