Sustainable buildings generate stronger investment returns than traditional managed properties, according to an ongoing study of a national office portfolio managed by CBRE Group, Inc. (CBRE). The study found that there is a higher value and an increased demand for green, and in particular for LEED® certified buildings, which is demonstrated by increased occupancy and rental rates in comparison with the general market.
This is the third phase of a multi-year study initiated in 2009 by CBRE, the University of San Diego’s Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate and McGraw-Hill Construction. The largest and longest running research project of its kind, the study benchmarks and measures green building benefits and resulting economic outcomes as a framework of investment criteria for retrofit activity. The 2011 findings were made public yesterday at U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International Expo and Conference. A full update to the study’s 2011 report Do Green Buildings Make Dollars and Sense? is expected to be released later this year.