Christopher N. Singleton, MAI, CCIM, Manager, Disposition Services for American Forest Management, Inc. (AFM) located in Sumter, SC, recently received the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation by the CCIM Institute. The designation was awarded during this year’s special summer CCIM Comprehensive Exam testing session, which was held across three days and 10 cities in the U.S. and Canada. The testing was postponed from the regularly scheduled spring testing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Singleton was among the 113 commercial real estate professionals who earned the designation by passing the CCIM Institute’s comprehensive examination, the capstone element in the designation process. This new group of CCIM designees hails from 24 U.S. states, as well as Canada.

“Now, more than ever, commercial real estate investors and operators need the expertise and sophisticated analysis that CCIMs are known for,” says Eddie D. Blanton, CCIM, 2020 global president of CCIM Institute. “We ‘changed the game’ this past week with our candidates taking the exam in 10 different locations with the support of local chapters and regional officers. It was important that the institute honor these individuals and all their hard work and commitment over the years toward earning this esteemed designation and create a safe environment to allow them a chance to sit for the exam and finish what they started. I’ve been lucky to see many new CCIM designees receive their lapel pin over the years, but I’m especially proud of this group.”

”I consider the CCIM designation in many ways to be an extension of the path I began eight years ago when I earned the MAI designation, because it demonstrates AFM’s commitment to not only the highest standards in appraisal practice, but also to providing our clients with the highest quality real estate services. The CCIM designation distinguishes AFM in the timberland consulting space and highlights our commitment to excellence as we serve our clients’ needs on the rural-urban fringe.”

To earn the CCIM designation, commercial real estate professionals must complete more than 160 hours of case-study driven education covering topics such as interest-based negotiation, financial analysis, market analysis, user decision analysis, investment analysis, and ethics in commercial investment real estate and pass a comprehensive examination. As an MAI, Singleton was able to forego the portfolio requirement based on his appraisal experience.

Singleton earned his B.S. from Florida State University and his M.F.R. from Clemson University. He is a Certified General Appraiser in Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington. He is an MAI Member of the Appraisal Institute and a member of the adjunct faculty at Clemson University.

Learn more about CCIM Institute’s education and designation program at ccim.com. Learn more about American Forest Management at americanforestmanagement.com

About CCIM Institute

CCIM Institute created the language of global real estate investment. Our courses and worldwide community deploy commercial real estate investment methodologies and tools that speed the pathway between opportunity, a go/no-go decision, and success for an asset, taught by instructors who are themselves industry leaders. Today, the organization, through its 50-plus chapters, continues to innovate best practices and elevate the commercial real estate professional through its core designation program to earn the CCIM pin — real estate’s most coveted credential — and its topical education courses offered through the Ward Center for Real Estate Studies. In addition, membership in CCIM includes the industry’s best technology and operational platform, allowing entrepreneurial and mid-sized businesses to compete with the largest multinational providers. Today, almost 70 percent of designees hold the title of owner, partner, principal, or president, representing an exclusive worldwide referral network of 13,000 members in 30 countries. Ultimately, CCIM represents a larger vision of the commercial real estate provider, leveraging investment analysis, opinions of value, and underwriting to become a leader in sourcing capital, building a cash-flow vehicle, and ultimately creating value. Information at www.ccim.com.