Hone Your Skills for a Successful Commercial Real Estate Career

A common question is whether a person new to real estate should start out in the commercial niche, or work into it from residential or another area of real estate. The decision requires an assessment of finances and abilities. A different skill set is required, and the first commission can be a long way in the future.

Quoting from the dust jacket of The Peebles Principles, "..The Peebles Principles distills the lessons Mr. Peebles has learned on his journey from congressional page to CEO of the largest Black-owned real estate development firm in the nation." The twelve Peebles Principles are presented in relation to actual deals, with supporting ground rules in each chapter.

Commercial real estate organizations increase your network and exposure, making it easier for you to build your client base. While commercial real estate organizations like CCIM are open to agents of every specialty, others, such as BOMA, ICSC, NAIOP and NMHC cater to agents who focus on specific product types.

Feng shui is just one system of belief that can hinder a deal. Anything from personal superstitions to poorly matched astrological signs can affect the type of space - and type of person - a client is willing to work with.

Just as the career of commercial real estate agent isn t right for everyone, the role of commercial real estate owner may not be comfortable to...

Obama's 2011 State of the Union didn't mention commercial real estate directly, but many of its plans could have direct effects on the industry.