by Diane Acken REALTORS® Commercial Alliance Chair
The REALTORS® Commercial Alliance (RCA) of GTAR has had a phenomenal start to the Commercial Ambassador Program (CAP). CAP officially started in 2013 by the RCA at GTAR under the leadership of Chairman, Dan Thornbrugh. It is a NAR award winning commercial real estate learning program for residential agents who are curious about selling commercial real estate. The program encourages residential or new agents to partner with an experienced commercial agent. In addition, CAP students attend sessions to learn from some of the best commercial practitioners (agents, lenders, inspectors, engineers, etc.) and take commercial tours, attend commercial pitch sessions, and learn from our new legal commercial update. CAP is affordable for members. There is also a scholarship available for agents who want to take their commercial learning a step further to CCIM courses. Should all agents attempt to sell commercial real estate? The answer is NO! Commercial sales are very different than residential sales in many ways. CAP uncovers those differences and helps the agents determine if commercial real estate sales is for them. Agents can have many legal issues if they are not experienced commercial agents and they attempt to sell commercial property.
On May 25, 2016 CAP session began with an impressive panel of experts: Larry Feldman, CEO of Feldman Equities; Stan Newmark, former President of the Florida Gulf Coast Association of REALTORS; Nancy Surak; CCIM; Tina Marie Eloian, CCIM; and past GTAR President and commercial agent, Carlos Fuentes, CCIM. (photos on pg. 16).
Each panelists described what they do to facilitate commercial real estate sales and development. The panel program was followed by the first Commercial Legal Law Update with Michael Boutzoukas, Esq. leading with comments regarding legal issues brought up by the experts. He also answered questions from the CAP students. The program was a success. Look for more Commercial Legal Updates in the future. You do not have to be a CAP student to attend CAP trainings as a student-at-large, GTAR Commercial Legal Update or Commercial Pitch.
The topic of the next CAP session, July 27, will be on Risk Management and Due Diligence in Commercial Transactions. Presenters include: Paul Willies, CEO and Senior Commercial Appraiser at Appraisal Development International; Shane Billings, President and Sr. Environmental Scientist of Bay Appraisal & Environmental, Inc.; Tom Frey, Owner and Operator of Florida Building Inspectors (FBI) Group; and Michael E. Boutzoukas, Attorney.
Even if you haven’t registered for the CAP Certificate Program, you may still sign up for some of the available sessions and tours, and, visitors are welcome at RCA meetings the first Wednesday of the month in the first floor conference room, at 10:30 a.m. Register at www.tamparealtors.org.
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