THE COUNSELORS OF REAL ESTATE

The organization was established in 1953, is an international group of high profile professionals including members of prominent real estate, financial, legal and accounting firms as well as leaders of government and academia who provide expert, objective advice on complex real property situations and land-related matters.

Membership is selective, extended by invitation only on either a sponsored or self-initiated basis. The organization's CRE Designation (The Counselor of Real Estate) is awarded to all members in recognition of superior problem solving ability in various areas of specialization such as litigation support, asset management, valuation, feasibility studies, acquisitions/dispositions and general analysis.

CREs achieve results, acting in key roles in annual transactions and/or real estate decisions valued at over $41.5 billion. Over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies retain CREs for advice on real estate holdings and investments. CRE clients include public and private property owners, investors, attorneys, accountants, financial institutions, pension funds and advisors, government institutions, health care facilities, and developers.

Only 1,100 practitioners throughout the world carry the CRE Designation, denoting the highest recognition in the real estate industry. CRE members average 20 years of experience in the real estate industry.

Enrichment Through Networking, Education & Publications
Networking is the hallmark of The Counselor organization. Throughout the year, programs provide cutting-edge educational opportunities for CREs including seminars, workshops, technology sessions, and business issues forums that keep members abreast of leading industry trends. Meetings on both the local and national level also promote interaction between CREs and members from key groups including those specializing in financial, legal, corporate, and government issues.

CRE members benefit from a wealth of information published in The Counselors' quarterly journal Real Estate Issues which offers decisive reporting on today's changing real estate industry. Recognized leaders contribute critical analyses on important topics such as institutional investment, sports and the community, real estate ethics, tenant representation, break-even analysis, the environment, cap rates/yields, REITs, and capital formation. Members also benefit from the member newsletter, The Counselor, and a wide range of books and monographs published by the organization. CRE regularly accesses the most advanced methodologies, techniques and computer-generated evaluation procedures available.

What is a Counselor of Real Estate (CRE)?
A Counselor of Real Estate is a real estate professional whose primary business is providing expert advisory services to clients. Compensation is often on an hourly or total fixed fee basis, although partial or total contingent fee arrangements are sometimes used. Any possibility of actual or perceived conflict of interest is resolved before acceptance of an assignment. In any event, the Counselor places the interests of the client first and foremost in any advice provided, regardless of the method of compensation. CREs have acquired a broad range of experience in the real estate field and possess technical competency in more that one real estate discipline. The client relies on the counselor for skilled and objective advice in assessing the client's real estate needs, implying both trust on the part of the client and trustworthiness on the part of the counselor.

Whether sole practitioners, CEOs of consulting firms, or real estate department heads for major corporations, CREs are seriously committed to applying their extensive knowledge and resources to craft real estate solutions of measurable economic value to clients' businesses. CREs assess the real estate situation by gathering the facts behind the issue, thoroughly analyzing the collected data, and then recommending key courses of action that best fit the client's goals and objectives. These real estate professionals honor the confidentiality and fiduciary responsibility of the client-counselor relationship.

The extensive CRE network stays a step ahead of the ever-changing real estate industry by reflecting the diversity of all providers of counseling services. Membership includes industry experts from the corporate, legal, financial, institutional, appraisal, academic, government, Wall Street, management, and brokerage sectors. Once invited into membership, CREs must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice.

Users of Counseling Services
Demand continues to increase for expert counseling services in real estate matters worldwide. Institutions, estates, individuals, corporations and federal, state and local governments have recognized the necessity and value of a CRE's objectivity in providing advice.

CREs serve both domestic and foreign clients. Members have accepted assignments in Africa, Asia, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe and the Middle East. CREs have been instrumental in assisting the Eastern European Real Property Foundation create and develop private sector, market-oriented real estate institutions in Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States. As a member of The Counselor organization, CREs have the opportunity to travel and share their expertise with real estate practitioners from several developing countries including Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, and Russia as they build their real estate businesses and develop standards of professional practice.