President's message: IREM across U.S. borders

Most of you probably think of the Institute of Real Estate Management as an American organization. While it is true our roots began to grow in the United States, today, once you step across the borders you will find that there are nearly 1,400 people from 37 countries who hold the distinction of an IREM certification - Certified Property Manager (CPM), Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) and Accredited Commercial Manager (ACM). In fact, 8% of IREM's members are outside of the United States. IREM was founded 75 years ago in Chicago, Illinois. In 1939, John Gibson Walker of Vancouver, Canada was the first person outside the United States to receive the CPM designation. IREM's international mission had begun! We currently have members in Canada, Singapore, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Japan, South Korea, South Africa & China. In addition to in-country programs, IREM also has at-large members - those who come to IREM through our website. We have at-large students from Egypt, Venezuela, Cayman Islands, Romania, Mexico & Guatemala. We offer in-house training programs to real estate management and investment companies in Tokyo, Cairo & Milan as well as St. Petersburg, Munich & Cannes. Whether from the U.S. or abroad, our members are driven by a desire for the high-level education and prestige that an IREM credential brings. IREM is an international organization because the industry we serve is international, as are the constituents we support. We continue to provide meaningful, value-added services to our multinational membership in order to support and enhance their business success. At the core of our organization is our members, and serving them is always at the forefront of our planning. As part of our chapter's ongoing efforts to connect with real estate professionals from abroad, Nicholas Stolatis, CPM & IREM chapter treasurer and I recently met with members of Nomura Asset Management from Japan and toured TIAA-CREF investment at 780 Third Ave. in NYC. Last week, IREM chapter vice president of education Sandra Kerin and I met with members of the board of KIINKO, a Finnish real estate training & education institute. The meeting & tour was held at the Hotel Westin Times Square and among the topics we discussed were IREM as a leading educator both in the United States and beyond as well as current trends in international education. Both groups focused on identifying industry best practices that our members apply in the execution of their duties. There is a sense that as their domestic markets mature, the old ways of doing things would not be sufficient to maintain a competitive advantage. In addition, we all continue to struggle with ways to draw young talent to the field. It was encouraging to see that IREM is held in high regard for its standards and competence, fully supporting the ongoing training, education and advancement of our members. Not surprisingly, IREM's strong position on ethics is understood to be a critical element in our philosophy of delivering the best performance to clients. During these meetings with our foreign counter parts we found that we are more alike than we are different. Each country understands the importance of having the international designation offered by IREM since their business now, more than ever, extends past their borders. James Hayden, CPM, is the president of the 2008 Greater New York Chapter of IREM, New York, N.Y.