New Year, New ccim.com with Robby Eaves, CCIM
January 30, 2024
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In a personal reflection, Robby Eaves, CCIM, shares his journey with The CCIM Institute, which began in 2008. Eaves explains how it all started when he was invited to volunteer for the local chapter, initially committing to just one year to explore the opportunity and network with his peers. However, the following year brought a request to serve again and an intriguing proposition to participate in a Designation course with The CCIM Institute. The experience that came from that course became a turning point for Eaves when he was awarded a chapter scholarship and enrolled in Financial Analysis for Commercial Real Estate, a course that profoundly captivated his interest and helped propel him to who he is today.
Eaves' involvement escalated as he chaired several Central Texas CCIM Chapter committees, guiding him toward a leadership path. His journey became a significant achievement when he was elected President of the chapter in 2020. One of Eaves's proudest accomplishments, and one that he is incredibly proud of, is having the opportunity to endow the CCIM Central Texas Chapter with a Named Education Scholarship under the name of his partners, the Commercial Industrial Properties (CIP) Scholarship.
Robby Eaves, CCIM, is the founding Principal of Commercial Industrial Properties in Austin, TX. His primary focus is on specialized development projects, site selection for tenants and users, and commercial investment acquisitions and dispositions. He's been a trusted mentor and leader to many commercial real estate professionals in Central Texas for over 10 years.
Eaves earned his CCIM Pin in 2015 and served a term as the 2020 President of the CCIM Central Texas Chapter, where he remains an active Board Member. He's an active member of the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), the Central Texas Commercial Association of Realtors (CTCAR), and the Austin Chapter of the Asian Real Estate Association (AREAA). He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Eaves served as the 2023 Vice Chair of Marketing for The CCIM Institute and 2023 Regional Vice President for The CCIM Institute's Region 4, where he helped lead 7 CCIM Chapters in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Previously, he completed his appointment to the Robert L. Ward Center for Commercial Real Estate Studies of The CCIM Institute, where the team developed professional development offerings and was on the Long-Term Strategic Planning Committee for The CCIM Institute. Eaves is a JWL Leadership Development Academy graduate whose project focused on expanding the membership of The CCIM Institute.
In 2023, Eaves joined as the Vice Chair of the Marketing Committee, which he gladly accepted and led to his Marketing Chair position for 2024. As the new Marketing Committee Chair for 2024, Eaves continues to play an essential role in The CCIM Institute's brand modernization, reimagined website, and other marketing campaigns.
Eaves's involvement in The CCIM Institute demonstrates how an initial volunteer position can blossom into a more profound commitment. It underscores the transformative experiences that organizations like The CCIM Institute can provide.
"I was fortunate that the previous Marketing Committee Chair, Glenn Preuss, CCIM, was on the committee responsible for the brand modernization process. With an eye on the future, one of the goals was recognition of the CCIM Pin/logo outside of the commercial real estate industry. Glenn and the committee did an outstanding job of retaining the message and the form of the Pin while modernizing the look and feel of The CCIM Institute. Once the Marketing Committee completed the brand modernization, I took a role in introducing it to the membership and pushed heavily for the adoption and acceptance of the update.
In implementing the new site, everyone had an important role to play. The CCIM Institute was fortunate to engage all membership levels during the redesign. Many hands and eyes were involved in the improvement process, including the Marketing Committee, the 2023 Management Team, a special Task Force, and outside consultants who helped us reach our goal.
“The website redesign was no small task, and the planning and execution took multiple years of intense work by The CCIM Institute's volunteer leaders and staff. The overall process included input on the design and functionality, which came from a special task force, the Marketing Committee, and the 2023 Management Team, who all took part in the beta testing for the new website before it went live. There were over 1,500 suggestions and modifications during testing! After reviewing and making modifications to the new site under the suggested edits from everyone, we were happy to release the brand new website to our members and the world in December 2023."
This rebrand introduces a new voice and personality to The CCIM Institute. The newly redesigned CCIM.com has improved mobile responsiveness and search engine optimization (SEO) and guarantees faster load times for an intuitive, user-friendly experience. The new website was purposely developed to serve as a totality of information for visitors, members, and CCIMs and is compatible with desktops, tablets, and smartphones. The functionality makes searchability easier for users and offers a more intuitive experience.
This website refresh lends a better format for a content strategy that aligns with The CCIM Institute's marketing goals and assures The CCIM Institute can retain its competitive edge in the modern commercial real estate industry.
Website visitors expect a more user-centric approach with improved user engagement and accessibility. The website has been redesigned with a clear, intuitive navigation structure, ensuring users can find information about programs or a particular course more quickly and efficiently.
The major difference? Functionality! It's easier to find everything on the newly redesigned site, and you are sure to stumble upon something that may pique your interest that you otherwise might have yet to see. The content is more user-friendly, simplified, and intuitive, where you can spend less time searching for what you need and more time taking advantage of your member benefits.
Visuals are everything in revolutionizing the commercial real estate industry. Keeping this in mind, the new CCIM.com added interactive elements like videos, animations, and micro-interactions to increase user engagement and make the new website more dynamic. The website was optimized to load faster, crucial for user retention and SEO keywords.
Eaves is proud to have played a significant role in modernizing The CCIM Institute rebrand and website design. Still, he is most proud of The CCIM Institute being receptive to the changes, input, and recommendations from its CCIM Designees.
"The website redesign was not just about updating a website but also about creating a more inclusive, user-friendly, and engaging online presence that resonates with our audience and reflects our evolving brand identity. I'm most proud of The CCIM Institute for taking on this initiative and our members who embraced this necessary change."
We would like to take a moment and thank Robby Eaves, CCIM, for answering our questions and providing valuable feedback about the newly redesigned ccim.com for our readers.
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