CCIM-RETI Alliance Poised to Transform Jamaica’s Real Estate Sector

Jamaican-born commercial real estate executive, André Collins, believes the new partnership between the CCIM Institute and Jamaica’s Real Estate Training Institute (RETI) has the potential to unlock transformative opportunities for real estate professionals across the island.

According to Mr. Collins, the pivotal moment in his career came when he earned the globally recognised Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation.

“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 tells JIS News.

Mr. Collins hopes that more Jamaicans will seize this opportunity to build successful careers in real estate and position themselves to compete with confidence on the global stage.

Reflecting on his journey, Mr. Collins shares that he left Jamaica after completing high school to pursue higher education and create a better future for his family.

“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 says.

To date, Mr. Collins has achieved many of his professional goals. He currently serves as the 2026 President-Elect of the North Carolina chapter of the CCIM Institute; is the co-founder of First and Early Partners, one of the fastest-growing boutique commercial real estate firms in the Carolinas and has launched a private equity platform tied to a US$25-million general partner fund.

The international real estate practitioner is encouraging other Jamaicans in the sector to follow his example, noting that, through the CCIM programme, he gained advanced training in analysing commercial real estate deals, an achievement that significantly advanced his career.

Mr. Collin shares that the designation continues to benefit his business, as international investors and corporations increasingly seek CCIM-certified professionals when expanding into new markets.

He believes this is yet another reason why the partnership with Jamaica’s Real Estate Training Institute could play a pivotal role in significantly strengthening the local industry.

Mr. Collins says the initiative could equip local practitioners with the technical expertise and credibility needed to compete internationally, while also attracting greater interest from global investors to Jamaica and the wider region.

The training will provide participants with exposure to globally recognised analytical frameworks and data-driven decision-making processes that are widely applied in commercial real estate markets around the world.

Through this initiative, RETI has become the exclusive delivery partner for CCIM education in Jamaica. It is also expected to position the country as a regional hub for excellence in real estate education and professional practice.

RETI Director and Principal, Dr. Tina Beale, notes that the partnership also aligns with Jamaica’s broader efforts to strengthen professionalism and ensure regulatory compliance within the real estate sector.

She explains that the Real Estate Board has already begun developing technical standards tailored to Jamaica’s real estate industry, integrating international benchmarks with local practices.

Dr. Beale says the CCIM partnership will complement those efforts by enhancing competence, reinforcing ethical standards, and elevating professionalism among practitioners, pointing out that “we are seeing that there has to be a competence-based framework within our compliance regime”.

The CCIM programmes will commence in July, giving local and regional real estate professionals the opportunity to earn internationally recognised certification and training without leaving the Caribbean.