Path to the Pin

HOW TO EARN THE

CCIM Designation

Every candidate for the CCIM designation is required to complete an education component, pass the Comprehensive Exam, complete a membership application, and pay annual dues.

  • EDUCATION

    EDUCATION COMPONENT


    The education component of earning your CCIM designation is comprised of a four-course curriculum, an online ethics course, negotiation training, and elective courses from the Ward Center for Real Estate Studies. Your membership type will determine how many education requirements you'll need to fulfill.


    Visit our membership types page.

  • PORTFOLIO

    PORTFOLIO OF QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE


    To demonstrate their experience in commercial real estate, designation candidates must submit a portfolio of qualifying activities, transactions, projects, or work products. This portfolio can take one of three forms, depending on your level of experience and the type of work that will be included.


    Transactional portfolios must meet minimum volume requirements:

    • Three (3) or more qualifying activities totaling $30 million or more; or
    • Exactly ten (10) qualifying activities totaling $10 million or more; or
    • Twenty (20) qualifying activities with no dollar volume requirement.

    Learn more about the portfolio requirements.

  • EXAM

    COMPREHENSIVE EXAM


    The Comprehensive Exam is a full-day exam testing your knowledge of CI 101-104 concepts and is the very last step to earning the CCIM Designation. It's preceded by the Course Concepts Review, allowing Designation candidates the opportunity to review the key topics that will be covered on the exam. 


    Learn more about the Comprehensive Exam and Course Concepts Review.

UPCOMING LIVE COURSE OFFERINGS

CI:102 Market Analysis for Commercial Real Estate

November 17-20, 2025 | Bossier City, LA

One of CCIM's most innovative core courses, CI 102 shows you how to deploy “big data” and the most advanced digital tools to assess critical issues like market demand, location facility, and supply-chain strategy. CI 102 students have learned BAO mapping and data analytics to help their clients select store locations; others used Tapestry Segmentation to determine demand for apartment properties. In CI 102 you'll work with four case studies covering each of the major property types: office, industrial, multifamily, and retail.


After completing this course, you will be able to:

  • apply Market and Competitive Analysis, Political and Legal Analysis, Location and Site Analysis, and Financial Analysis to make fundamental investment decisions;
  • perform state-of-the-art geospatial analyses; and
  • forecast future demand and opportunities for investment.


#PathtothePin Begins with the Core Courses

Core Course Descriptions

CI: 101

Financial Analysis

Must take before 103 & 104. Provides the foundation of practical financial analysis you need in the following core courses and in the field.

CI:102

Market Analysis

Analyze investment factors for each of the four major property types: office, industrial, multifamily, and retail.



CI:103

User Decision Analysis

Utilize market and financial analysis skills for user space decisions, and apply cost-of-occupancy models for ownership and leasing.

CI:104

Investment Analysis

Optimize on investment returns and effectively forecast investment performance by quantifying real estate risk.