CCIM–RETI Tie-Up Aims to Lift Jamaica’s Commercial Real Estate Standards

Jamaican-born commercial property leader André Collins says a fresh link between the CCIM Institute and the Real Estate Training Institute (RETI) could open major doors for practitioners islandwide.

Collins credits earning the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) credential as the turning point in his own career. “When I received my master’s degree in real estate, that was some added credibility, but it didn’t come with a network. Through CCIM designation, I was able to get in-depth training analysis in terms of how to analyse deals, and how to help drive decisions in my specific markets that I transacted in. Through that process, I was able to also strengthen my network and receive instant credibility as a practitioner in the industry,” he told JIS News.

He wants more Jamaicans to use similar pathways to build strong careers in property and to hold their own in international markets.

Looking back, Collins said he migrated from Jamaica after secondary school to study abroad and improve prospects for his household. “Getting a scholarship to the United States was a big deal; but as I grew in that path, I learned more. I was exposed more to ways to elevate my family, one of which was commercial real estate. I ended up pursuing a degree in finance, then a master’s degree in real estate. But nothing made a significant impact in my life more than when I got my CCIM designation,” he said.

Collins has since met several career targets. He is President-Elect for 2026 of the CCIM Institute’s North Carolina chapter, co-founded First and Early Partners—a fast-growing boutique commercial firm in the Carolinas—and rolled out a private equity vehicle linked to a US$25-million general partner fund.

The overseas-based practitioner is urging fellow Jamaicans in the field to consider the CCIM route, noting the programme deepened his ability to assess commercial transactions in ways that propelled his work forward.

Collins said the designation still supports his practice, as overseas investors and large firms more often look for CCIM holders when entering new territories. That trend, he argued, is among the reasons the RETI alliance could materially bolster Jamaica’s property sector.

He said the effort may give local agents stronger technical skills and standing abroad, while helping draw more foreign capital to Jamaica and neighbouring markets. Training is slated to introduce widely used global frameworks and evidence-based methods common in commercial property worldwide.

Under the arrangement, RETI is the sole Jamaican provider of CCIM instruction. Officials also expect the country to emerge as a Caribbean centre for high-quality property education and practice.

RETI Director and Principal Dr. Tina Beale said the pact fits wider national work to raise professional standards and tighten regulatory adherence in real estate. She noted that the Real Estate Board is already drafting technical rules for the domestic industry, blending international norms with local conditions.

Dr. Beale said CCIM coursework will support that push by building skills, upholding ethics, and lifting standards across the profession, adding that “we are seeing that there has to be a competence-based framework within our compliance regime”.

CCIM classes are set to begin in July, allowing Jamaican and regional professionals to pursue recognised certification and training without travelling outside the Caribbean.