Fresno broker becomes only woman in 100-mile radius to earn elite CCIM designation. Illustration by Cecilia Lopez

Veronica Stumpf, a broker associate with Fresno-based Stumpf and Company, recently received one of the most prestigious designations in the industry — the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), held by less than 1% of real estate professionals worldwide.

Stumpf said she is the only woman in a 100-mile radius with the designation. According to findaccim.com, Stumpf is only one of five people in Fresno to have the designation.

CCIM.com states that designees are, “proven leaders in commercial real estate who care as much about the expertise, ethical responsibility, and quality of their service, as they do about the result.”

To earn the designation, candidates must complete a series of courses. According to the CCIM website, the first course is CI 101: Financial Analysis for Commercial Investment Real Estate, which goes over practical financial analysis skills.

Before moving on to the higher level courses, they must complete eight hours of negotiation training based on The CCIM Institute Interest-Based Negotiations Model.
Stumpf compared the designation to someone receiving a PhD.

The CCIM Institute was founded in 1967 and is a leader in education, technology, and networking resources.

“It feels surreal that I have made this accomplishment,” Stumpf said. “I mean, being the only woman within 100 miles of Fresno to achieve this accomplishment feels surreal. But I think it also highlights how much further we have in the local commercial real estate industry to go in regards to representation.”

Stumpf said she has hope that the gender balance is shifting across the Central Valley, pointing to others like Sirena Sosa, Visalia broker and W Group owner.

“I was able to network with other Central Valley agents and brokers who are pursuing the CCIM designation, including Sirena Sosa,” Stumpf said. “It was very exciting to connect with her and know that she’s very close to pursuing a CCIM as well.”

For Sosa, who became the first woman to lead a full-service commercial real estate group in the Central Valley, seeing Stumpf achieve the milestone has served as motivation for her.

“It’s super inspiring,” Sosa said. “It will encourage other women in the industry to also obtain the designation. It’s definitely not easy — the courses are really rigorous and the exams are really hard — so it’s really awesome to see her accomplish it.”

Stumpf said completing the CCIM process in under a year required dedicating early mornings, late nights and the support of her family, including her father and company founder Ron Stumpf and her sister Alex.

“My father took CCIM courses over 40 years ago, so he understood the amount of work that it required,” she said. “He told me, ‘Promote this, own this. This is something you worked really hard to do.’ That encouragement meant everything.”

Stumpf and Company was founded in 1977 and is approaching its 50th anniversary. Stumpf said receiving the designation is part of the next step in the firm’s growth.

“We’re not here to change the foundation of what my father built nearly 50 years ago,” she said. “But this is a way to evolve with the market — expanding beyond the traditional brokerage model to offer more advisory, analytical and consulting services.”

Stumpf, who graduated from Fresno State in 2011 with a degree in economics, has been a longtime advocate for downtown Fresno’s revitalization. Since starting her career in 2011, she said she has seen an increase of investment and interest.

“When I started, barely any of my colleagues wanted to focus on downtown,” Stumpf said. “Now, you see a lot of outside investors who are priced out of their current markets taking a closer eye on downtown Fresno, Chinatown and the surrounding area.”

Stumpf said she’s found strength in persistence and continuing to educate herself, which are lessons she hopes to pass on to others entering the field, especially to young women who may have imposter syndrome.

“Always learn. You’re never too old to learn in your career,” she said. “Pursue mentors, pursue networks. Those connections gave me the confidence to finally pursue the CCIM, and I hope other women see that and know they can do it too.”