The Quest for the CCIM
by
Tyler Warne, CCIM
Broker, Owner
Chasing the Pin
There are those who chase commissions.
There are those who chase glory.
And then, there are those of us who — for reasons only our mentors and our masochism can explain — chase the CCIM Pin.
It’s not just a designation. It is a journey.
A whispered token of mastery passed among commercial brokers — half sacred, half statistical. The PIN that promises clarity, confidence, and allegedly, better cap rate or capital accumulation conversations. This is my story — a saga that began in the middle of a pandemic, stretched across four states and two countries, and ended (for now) with a sleepless trek to Vancouver, Canada.
Think Lord of the Rings, but with Excel spreadsheets, market comps, and TSA lines.
Quest I — The Awakening: The 4 A.M. Exam of Doom
It began in 2022. The world was in lockdown, the air smelled like sanitizer, and my Wi-Fi was my lifeline. Somewhere between sourdough starters and Zoom fatigue, I decided I was ready to become a Certified Commercial Investment Member.
My first course was online — a blur of breakout rooms and valuation formulas. I studied everywhere: in my office, in my truck, even mid-ski trip. One night, realizing I was running out of time before the test expired, I woke up at 4:00 A.M., strapped on mental armor, and took the exam from a mountain lodge while the slopes slept. My lovely bride urging me to just click through the final 5 questions so I could take her father to the ski slopes.
It wasn’t pretty. But it was passed.
And like Frodo clutching the Ring for the first time, I whispered to myself, “What have I gotten into?”
Quest II — The Hero’s Forge: Texas with Bo Barron
Next stop: Texas.
There, I met Bo Barron, CCIM — the Conquering Hero of our tale. Imagine Aragorn if he traded the sword for a spreadsheet and motivational philosophy.
Bo didn’t just teach the class — he led an army.
His lessons in market analysis weren’t about memorizing metrics; they were about seeing through chaos, recognizing patterns, and realizing that deals are living things.
We broke markets down to the studs, rebuilt them, and then tested them against reality. Bo taught us that numbers are only as strong as the story you tell around them.
I left Texas armed and dangerous — my cap rate sword sharp, my yield shield steady.
Quest III — The Elven City of Milwaukee
Just when I thought I’d charted my path, fate rerouted my flight.
My next class wasn’t where I planned — it was in Milwaukee, a city strung together with suspended walkways like some modern Elven stronghold.
There, I met James Gerdts, the Elf — graceful, composed, speaking in valuation equations that sounded like poetry.
And then there was Walt Clements, our Gandalf — wise, battle-tested, occasionally amused by our mortal confusion.
Days were filled with theory and analysis. Nights were dinners and laughter, good free wine, and fellowship among brokers who all shared the same madness: chasing the Pin.
Somewhere between the case studies and the Cabernet, I realized — this wasn’t just education. It was initiation.
Quest IV — The Stronghold of Strategy: Denver with Walt
By the time I reached Denver, the quest had changed me. The pace was faster now, the lessons sharper, and the stakes higher. This was no longer about theory — this was about mastery.
The campus sat in the heart of the city, all clean lines and mountain air — a fitting place for the final forge before the exam. And at the front of the room stood Walt Clements, our Gandalf — calm, commanding, and somehow both brilliant and amused at once.
Walt didn’t just teach the material; he revealed it. He talked about market psychology like it was weather, cycles like seasons, and the way deals move like rivers through terrain. There was a rhythm to his teaching — equal parts intellect and intuition — that made you lean in.
After class one evening, I joined Walt for dinner. It wasn’t a lecture; it was a conversation. Between bites of steak and sips of red wine, we talked about where the industry is headed — cap rates, capital flow, technology, and how the next generation of brokers will need to blend human insight with data intelligence.
Walt shared stories of markets past — booms and busts, bold bets and lucky saves — each one carrying a quiet lesson. You could feel decades of wisdom behind every line.
That night stuck with me. It wasn’t just another chapter in a course — it was one of those rare evenings where experience, mentorship, and camaraderie blend together into something more.
When I left Denver, I didn’t just feel trained. I felt prepared — not just for the exam, but for the profession itself. Walt had done what great mentors do: he’d opened a window into what’s coming, and reminded me that those who understand cycles don’t fear them — they position for them.
Quest V — The Final Ascent: Vancouver, CA
And then came Vancouver — the final trial.
I arrived half-delirious, running on airport coffee and stubbornness. Two days of intense classes with Soozi (part eccentric tavern-keeper, part philosopher) and Jeremy (a steady woodworker-type, all craft, no ego).
Together they drilled us, tested us, and laughed with us through the haze. By nightfall, I found myself in the President’s Suite, surrounded by my fellow warriors, the room buzzing with relief and disbelief and wine.
My deskmate turned roomate, Chris Gratmann, could’ve been plucked straight out of the Fellowship — athletic, sharp, and just as determined to finish the quest. We’d crossed continents and case studies, and now, we were here.
We raised a toast — to sleepless flights, late-night spreadsheets, and the stubborn pursuit of something that only a few will ever understand.
Epilogue — The Pin
When the final exam was done, I held my breath.
Not because I doubted my preparation, but because I knew what this meant. The Pin isn’t just a title — it’s a rite of passage.
It’s the moment you realize you’ve stopped just doing deals — and started understanding them.
You see the entire chessboard now. You see how money moves, how markets breathe, and how value is built — not found.
And yes, it’s still just a shiny little Pin. But it’s my Ring — forged through spreadsheets, late nights, and good mentors.
Reflection
Every professional needs a quest — something hard enough to humble them, deep enough to change them.
For me, that was the CCIM journey. It taught me not just how to analyze properties, but how to think like and be an investor, to see the story inside every deal, and to appreciate the companions along the way. If you’re considering the path, do it. But know this — you won’t just earn a Pin. You’ll earn a story.
ARE YOU READY TO WORK TOGETHER?