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Operational sustainability certifications can lift GRESB benchmark scores
GRESB scoring points related to building performance depend in part on the share of a portfolio covered by certified, validated operational data.
GRESB is a global ESG assessment and benchmarking system for real assets, and its Real Estate Assessment is the annual submission real estate companies and funds use to report sustainability practices and building performance. The results are validated, scored, and benchmarked, and those scores are increasingly treated by investors and managers as a key input for capital allocation and due diligence, according to Nareit.
Nareit says GRESB scores matter because they help investors compare managers, assess performance, and decide where to place capital. For many participants, improving a score starts with easier-to-document areas like third-party property management, but after an initial phase teams can see diminishing returns as policy and governance efforts flatten.
Nareit highlights that the biggest score gains are tied to operational performance data rather than additional policy writing. It cites Josh Kiser, senior project manager for Americas sustainability advisory at CBRE, saying participants often get points by improving data coverage and demonstrating year-over-year improvements, with tenant spaces noted as a particularly valuable but commonly difficult data blind spot because they account for most energy use.
Nareit also points to ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager as an example of a platform property managers can use to consistently capture whole-building and tenant-related performance data, which in turn can drive score movement since the metrics are benchmarked against peers. The material notes that certifications can increase the certified floor-area share in a portfolio, which feeds into GRESB scoring in BC1.2.