Everywhere you turn, you see statements such as “green living” and “sustainable packaging.” There is no debating that the eco-friendly mentality is affecting virtually every aspect of our lives, and real estate is no exception.
Recently, several large corporations have seen the opportunity and taken the plunge into the green real estate space, including IBM, JP Morgan and Toyota Motor. It’s no surprise though, as green construction is currently one of the fastest growing divisions in the commercial building segment.
From sustainable skyscrapers to eco-friendly boutique-like office spaces, 10% of all new commercial construction is green, but new construction isn’t the only segment that is going green – existing construction is also jumping on board and making changes to be in line with LEED Certification (U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)/ In addition to green commercial space being so well received by the public, owners of the buildings and office space are also seeing substantial savings via increase in rent and savings in energy cost.
It’s obvious that big corporate companies have less barrier to entry in these types of projects, but what about smaller organizations and individual investors get involved? According to a recent article in Fast Company, many opportunities reside in the REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust). Liberty Property Trust currently has 21 eco-friendly buildings in its portfolio.
