Comparison · 12 material differences
CCIM Institute vs CREW Network
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Professional association
Verified September 2026 CCIM Institute
Commercial real estate practitioners (brokers, investors, asset managers, lenders, appraisers and developers) pursuing or holding the CCIM designation
Professional association
CREW Network
Professionals working full time in commercial real estate - transaction, design, development, construction, management and investment disciplines - who want to advance women in…
What the records say
- Gender: CCIM Institute: No published gender; CREW Network: "Membership is open to both women and men, as men are important allies in the advancement of women." CREW also states it welcomes applicants "of all backgrounds, experience levels, genders, race, ethnicity, origin, sexual orientation, and ability".
- Geographic restriction: CCIM Institute: No published geographic restriction; CREW Network: Applicants join through the chapter or affiliate nearest them; at-large membership is for those with no chapter or affiliate "within a reasonable distance" of their primary residence.
- Industry restriction: CCIM Institute: Candidate membership is open to commercial real estate practitioners; no prior designation or advanced degree is required; CREW Network: "you must be employed in a full-time professional position with responsibility in one of CREW Network's Qualified Fields of Commercial Real Estate".
- Annual dues: CCIM Institute: $695 a year; CREW Network: $139–229 a year.
Side by side
| CCIM Institute | CREW Network | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Professional association |
| Founded | 1967 (CCIM's own designation page states "Since 1967, more than 20,000 professionals have completed the CCIM Designation program"; its homepage says the Institute has operated for more than 56 years.) | 1989 (Founded in 1989 to enable women in commercial real estate to exchange information, develop business contacts and advance professionally.) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States | Lawrence, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Members in more than 30 countries; chapters across the United States plus Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, Korea and Taiwan | "more than 14,000 members in over 80 major markets worldwide"; chapters are incorporated independently in their state or province across North America, with global affiliate groups typically formed outside North America |
| Members | 13,000as of September 2026 | 14,000as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 59 | 85 |
| Primary audience | Commercial real estate practitioners (brokers, investors, asset managers, lenders, appraisers and developers) pursuing or holding the CCIM designation | Professionals working full time in commercial real estate - transaction, design, development, construction, management and investment disciplines - who want to advance women in the industry |
| Typical member | Members are working commercial real estate practitioners rather than a wealth or seniority cohort. Candidate members are practitioners studying for the designation; designees have completed the curriculum, submitted a portfolio of qualifying experience and passed a comprehensive exam. | Full-time commercial real estate professionals across all disciplines of the industry. Full membership requires that the majority of an individual's responsibilities lie within commercial real estate and that their field is necessary to the transaction, design, development, construction, management, investment or functioning of commercial real estate; those who only supply goods and services to the industry are admitted as affiliate or vendor members instead. |
| Qualification | ||
| Gender | No published gender | "Membership is open to both women and men, as men are important allies in the advancement of women." CREW also states it welcomes applicants "of all backgrounds, experience levels, genders, race, ethnicity, origin, sexual orientation, and ability"The organisation's mission is to accelerate success for all women in global commercial real estate, but membership itself is not restricted by genderverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | Applicants join through the chapter or affiliate nearest them; at-large membership is for those with no chapter or affiliate "within a reasonable distance" of their primary residence"While most members are located in North America, CREW Network is expanding globally, and we welcome new members from all continents."verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | Candidate membership is open to commercial real estate practitioners; no prior designation or advanced degree is requiredPractitioners who are not pursuing the designation may also join in order to take courses.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | "you must be employed in a full-time professional position with responsibility in one of CREW Network's Qualified Fields of Commercial Real Estate"CREW's screening question is: "Is the applicant's field necessary to the transaction, design, development, construction, management, investment and/or functioning of CRE?" If not, the applicant is admitted as an affiliate or vendor member rather than a full member.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | Yes |
| Application process | Practitioners join online as candidate members and pay annual dues, then work through the designation curriculum at their own pace. Applications for the special designee categories (life membership, retirement, leave of absence) are reviewed twice a year, with a spring deadline of 27 March 2026 for the current cycle. | Four published steps: find a CREW chapter or affiliate near you, review the membership benefits and qualifications, apply for membership, and pay the invoice. At-large applicants apply centrally and submit demographic and location details, their Qualified Field, a description of their role, why they want to join, two professional references, a LinkedIn profile or resume, and a US$25 application fee; the outcome is notified within one week and dues are billed on approval. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed as an acceptance rate. Membership itself is open; the filter is the designation, which requires curriculum completion, a qualifying-experience portfolio and a comprehensive exam. | Not publicly disclosed as a rate. Applications are screened against the Qualified Fields definition, which determines whether an applicant becomes a full member or an affiliate or vendor member. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $695 a yearCandidate membership, United States. Dues prorate in the shopping cart for members joining after 31 January.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $139–229 a yearAt-large membership: "you will be billed for annual membership dues at either $229 USD for the full year or $139 USD if applying between June 15 and September 30." Membership runs on a calendar year, renewable from November; dues are non-transferable and non-refundable.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Local chapter dues | Not publicly disclosed; chapter dues are not listed on the national membership pages.verified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed centrally. CREW chapters "are created and incorporated as independent organizations in their state or province", set their own dues, and bill members directly; the network's site directs applicants to their local chapter rather than publishing chapter prices.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Programme fee | Not recorded here. The designation curriculum is priced separately from dues under CCIM's "Designation Program: Time & Cost" schedule, which was not read for this record.verified September 2026 | Only at-large dues are published centrally. Chapter members pay dues set by their independent chapter, which include network-level benefits; CREW supplies a template members can use to ask an employer to sponsor the cost. |
| Membership term | Calendar year, with dues prorated for members joining after 31 January | Calendar year, renewable from November for the coming year; dues non-transferable and non-refundable |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Chapter events year-round plus national Spring and Fall Forums | Chapter programming locally, plus the annual CREW Convention, the Leadership Summit, CREW Collective member-led webinars and networking at ICSC, MIPIM and NMHC events |
| Peer forums | Local chapters organised across 13 regions; no confidential facilitated peer forum is published | CREW Councils bring members together at the global level for deals, knowledge exchange and relationship building; CREWbiz hosts an open forum and topic communities |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed; CCIM publishes a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice | CREW publishes a Code of Conduct and forum etiquette rules governing member conduct and the online community |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Cohort-based, Event-focused | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | Partial |
| Investment discussions | Yes | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | Partial | Partial |
| Philanthropic component | No | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: CCIM Institute · CREW Network