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Research Commercial Real Estate Consulting Firms and return to me a report on the industry and who is active in the industry
Hello! Thanks for asking Wonder for an overview of the commercial real estate consulting industry, including examples of those who are active in this industry. The most useful source I found to response to your query was the Counselors of Real Estate website.
In short, commercial real estate consultants are professionals from many walks of life who offer expert, unbiased guidance or advice in a variety of areas, including financing, investment analysis, and tax consulting, that affect real estate decisions. They carry the CRE designation, which is awarded to an elite group of real estate professionals worldwide. Below, please find the results of my research.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CONSULTING - AN OVERVIEW
Commercial real estate consultants offer expert, unbiased guidance or advice in a variety of areas, including financing, investment analysis, and tax consulting, that affect complex commercial real estate decisions. Real estate consultants help define problems and devise solutions, using extensive industry knowledge, analysis, and inquiry. These consultants come from a variety of specialty areas, including investment management, valuation, law, asset management, mergers and acquisitions, financing strategy, planning, arbitration, marketing, and much more.
Having acquired a special designation as Counselors of Real Estate (CRE®), these real estate professionals are among an elite group of approximately 1,100 advisors worldwide. The CRE, founded in 1953, has established strict guidelines and eligibility requirements, while providing a forum for members to network, grow, and share knowledge. Clients ranging from government entities to small businesses tap into the wisdom of CREs to make informed real estate decisions.
QUALIFICATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Counselors of Real Estate come from many different professional backgrounds and are held to a high professional standard. The CRE designation is awarded to professionals who are invited into the membership of CRE and fulfill the rigorous membership requirements. Invited CRE applicants must meet certain qualifications, which include:
• Prominence in their field as a recognized leader, innovator, speaker, and author.
• Peer-recognized expertise in a specific market, methodology, or property type.
• Influence in their specific industry, addressing problems and advancing industry practices through research and analysis.
• Honesty and integrity within their industry, including ethical treatment of employees, clients, and employers.
• At least 10 years of experience in a real estate-related field, including three years of real estate counseling that significantly influence real estate decisions.
• Prove that they offer guidance or advice that "significantly affects real estate decisions, without personal bias or conflict of interest."
• "be accomplished and highly regarded for integrity, ethics, judgment, leadership, knowledge, and superior expertise in his or her organization and/or field(s) of specialty."
• demonstrate the qualities outlined above, including prominence, experience, ethics, expertise, and influence.
INDUSTRY GROWTH
Though notably a small and elite group, the CRE is poised for growth. According to the CRE 5-year strategic plan, established in December 2015, the CRE has five primary goals for future growth:
• Increasing membership by 20% with a goal of 1,200 by 2020. Considering normal attrition rates, that number was estimated to require 100 new members each year of the 5-year plan period.
• Enhanced member engagement through both existing and new programs.
• Improved application process.
• Reassess program relevance.
Other goals for the group include increased diversity in thought leadership through gender, race, and age equity goals, as well as expanded professional occupation inclusion, specialization, and technology.
ACTIVE CONSULTANTS WITH CRE DESIGNATION
The CRE website provides a database of CRE members, but here are a few notable CREs from various industries:
Kevin Phelan, recipient of the CRE's James D. Landauer/ John R. White Award, is co-chair of Colliers International, a commercial real estate firm that provides brokerage, valuation services, real estate management, development, and consulting.
Maura Cochran is a principal at Bartram & Cohran, Inc. in Hartford, CT. She was the recipient of the CRE Committee Service Award. Ms. Cochran specializes in due diligence, site selection, and adaptive reuse in the private and public sectors.
Anthony F. DellaPelle, CRE
Tony DellaPelle is a New Jersey attorney who holds the CRE designation. With 25 year of experience, DellaPelle specializes in eminent domain, redevelopment, condemnation, and appeal cases and attempts to "quickly assess the issues and recommend a plan of action," giving every client 100% focus.
Christopher A. Kent, P.A.
In the area of real estate marketing, Christopher Kent has been offering real estate advice for 29, "originating, shaping and marketing communities and venues, nationally and internationally."
SUMMARY
In summary, commercial real estate consultants carry the prestigious CRE designation, which confirms that they are real estate advisors with integrity, prominence, expertise, and influence in their area of specialty. Through careful assessment, analysis, and research, they apply their vast industry knowledge in solving complex commercial real estate problems.
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