Where Is The Commercial Recognition?

Just a short gripe after reviewing Inman's 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate report from September 17, 2007. Where is the commercial real estate recognition? The CCIM network is the pinnacle designation (a little self promotion, I know) of the commercial practitioner and I know that the national committees (along with the regional boards) spend a tremendous amount of time "getting the word out" about our differentiation in marketplace.

The problem is that the residential side is the 800 lb. gorilla in the room and it's "political action committee" (NAR) spend considerably more time (and money) hitting the Inman's of the world to promote the residential side (and its ancillary components) of the business.

Our network (CCIM) must meld into the discussion with these ancillary components, because if a company/community/blog/network that is less than 18 months old (page 28, Most notables, Active Rain with 49,000+ active members and 1,400+ online at any given time) can receive Inman's attention over the CCIM network, then something's missing in the discussion.

Speaking of Active Rain (which I'm a member), I received a call from an appraiser (prompting this brief quip) this morning wanting to get a hold of me for information on a truck terminal I sold two years ago. He sounded like he was less than 30 years old and new to the business, so where did he find me because I asked him - IN the Active Rain directory - his first stop to locate an agent (not NAR, or CCIM or even Coldwell Banker - where I was at the time) - he looked to Active Rain, this is a wake-up call to CCIM and the 800 lbs gorilla.