Ever wonder how some CRE brokers land six-figure commissions for “doing nothing”—and why that’s not the full story? In this episode of Commercially Speaking, Bo and Timmy Barron sit down with James Milner, CCIM, a commercial broker and CCIM leader, to uncover the reality of commercial real estate brokerage, how the industry really works, and why earning a CCIM designation is a game-changer.

James shares his journey from real estate paralegal to CCIM leader, explains the hardest part of breaking into commercial real estate, and reveals how brokers really make money (hint: it’s not as easy as it looks!). Plus, he gives an inside look at why CCIM is the gold standard in CRE education and what brokers need to do to earn it.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

How brokers actually get paid (and why some fees seem too good to be true)
The biggest mistakes new brokers make (and how to avoid them)
What CCIM is and how it can 10X your career in CRE
Why some deals require brokers to step back—and when they should step in
The impact of Hurricane Helene on Boone, NC, and how businesses are rebuilding

📍 Plus: Timmy takes another CCIM pop quiz, James gives his top 3 reasons portfolios get rejected, and Bo shares the number one mistake he made when submitting his CCIM portfolio.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

❤️ Boone, NC Small Business Relief Fund – Donate here: boonechamber.com/foundation
🏢 Appalachian Commercial Real Estate – AppalachianCRE.com
🤖 Superpowers HQ – Get a CRE executive assistant: superpowershq.com/commerciallyspeaking
📊 CRE Marketing Mastermind – wesgay.com/cs
🤖 Superpowers HQ – Need a CRE executive assistant? Get one here: superpowershq.com/commerciallyspeaking
All Disc, No Balls! — Tizbee, The Secret Game For Champions — tizbee.com
💡 Massimo Group – World-class coaching for CRE brokers: massimo-group.com
🛠️ Site to Do Business (STDB) – Powerful CRE analysis and mapping tools: stdb.com

$100K Commissions for Doing Nothing?! The Truth About Commercial Real Estate - James Milner, CCIM