The National Association of Realtors has released a new set of survey results all about sustainability in commercial real estate. As the effects of global climate change grow in intensity, it’s perhaps not surprising that buildings perceived as eco-friendly are also being seen as more valuable these days.
Significant interest in green properties
LEED, Green Globes, the Living Building Challenge and other green certification programs give commercial properties a boost in value. So say more than 1/3 of surveyed agents and brokers, anyway. And while most respondents didn’t feel that certified properties necessarily sold any faster, almost 40% did feel that clients are showing a particular interest in such credentials.
Finally, 69% of agents and brokers said that energy-efficiency promotion has been valuable for listings.
Low industry engagement overall
While commercial real estate professionals seem to largely find some value in green and energy-efficient property features, the information remains remarkably under-utilized overall.
Only 18% of survey respondents could even confirm that their Commercial Information Exchange (CIE) had green data fields present. The remaining 82% were either unsure or confirmed that no such fields existed.
What’s more, 51% of respondents who did have green CIE data fields said they weren’t using them. The main takeaway here? Some serious marketing potential is being missed across the industry.