CCIM Institute is hoping to get more veterans interested in commercial real estate. The organization launched its CCIM Vets In Real Estate program in June, offering veterans the opportunity to receive their real estate designations for free.

Funded through the G.I. Bill, the program covers lodging accommodations, travel costs and course fees for those qualified to participate.

“US veterans have sacrificed much for our country and it is an honor and privilege for CCIM Institute to help them,” CCIM Institute president Robin L. Webb tells Bisnow, adding that the program is designed to immediately provide vets with “skills and knowledge to launch their careers in commercial real estate.”

A dozen vets have enrolled in the program thus far and the institute expects 20 more to join at the start of the new year.

Pictured below are Steve Moreira, CCIM 2016 president; Mark Macek, CCIM 2015 president; Walt Clements, CCIM CEO; Robin Webb, CCIM 2016 president-elect.

CCIM also works to assist members in finding jobs once the program is completed though that's no easy process.

Before they can enroll, candidates must have professional careers in real estate for at least two years. Once enrolled the program takes approximately one to two years to complete—including four core courses, two electives and a minimum transaction volume of $30M. There is also a full-day exam that must be passed before candidates earn the CCIM designation. Courses normally cost from $1k to $1.6k and are held at CCIM branches around the country.

CCIM certifications are recognized as among the most prestigious in the industry. The institute partners with well-known firms such as Marcus & Millichap, Ten-X and Colliers International.

Matthew Kirchoff, who served eight years as a sergeant in the US Army with a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2006, was eager to participate.

“The CCIM designation is the most prestigious pathway I found to develop my career in commercial real estate," he says. "I didn’t think at this specialized level a CCIM Institute program would be available through the VA, but I was fortunate to find that it was.