Professional Profile
Richard Gerdts, DBA, CCIM ("James") is an investor, commercial broker, and founder of SquareHat Real Estate. His 20 years in commercial real estate includes experience in commercial brokerage, commercial and residential investments (principal, portfolio manager, and asset manager), commercial development, and residential redevelopment. Prior to his career in commercial real estate, he was an engineer in the technology industry, and he co-founded a specialty dental office.
James earned his CCIM designation in 2016. His formal education also includes:
- Doctor of Business Administration from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Master of Science in Computer Engineering from North Carolina State University
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University
- Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University
James’s passion for teaching at the CCIM Institute stems from his desire to give back to the institution and profession that have given so much to him. His CCIM education changed the way he practiced real estate; the tools and knowledge he gained improved the level of service he gave to his clients and increased the profitability of his own real estate investments. James strives to help his students master the principles of commercial real estate so they can also live their best practice lives.