What best describes your business requirements?
- I'm a property developer.
Build our business case for green buildings. - I'm a property owner.
Reduce energy costs with green retrofits. - I'm a broker.
Use sustainability to increase our commissions. - I'm a property manager.
Help us attract premium tenants. - I run a hotel or resort.
Put us on a green-hotel path.
Are green buildings a pick-me-up in a down market?
Building the business case for green buildings
As a commercial or residential property developer, one of your biggest decisions is whether to build green buildings or standard buildings. Your decision hinges on:
- Whether the municipality in question mandates that you build green.
- Whether you can take advantage of tax incentives, rebates or other financial incentives.
- Whether the additional development costs will pay off in higher sales prices.
According to a study by CoStar, buildings that are LEED or ENERGY STAR certified tend to generate a 6-10 percent higher sales price per square foot, even when the age, location and time of sale are controlled for. The same study finds that the extra costs of going green can be as low as 3 percent.
Assess the facts with a FirstCarbon cost/benefit risk assessment, based on the building codes and tax incentives in your area.
We can also help you decide when it makes sense to offset your own construction activities. For example, if a new shopping mall requires you to clear 30 acres of forest, you can achieve carbon neutrality by using green-building techniques on other projects or by purchasing carbon credits.
Get a green-building consultation.
Reduce energy costs with green retrofits
If you own or invest in properties, you can perform green retrofits and energy-efficiency improvements to immediately reduce your electricity, heating and cooling costs – while also taking advantage of applicable tax and utility incentives.
Learn more about FirstCarbon's energy-efficiency practice.
Convince property owners to go green and increase broker commissions
Case studies and other anecdotal evidence indicate that green real estate sells faster and for more money than traditional real estate. And, of course, higher sales prices mean higher commissions for you.
Should you be advising your sellers or buyers to invest in green retrofits?
Let FirstCarbon teach you:
- What kinds of commercial and residential properties make good candidates for green retrofits.
- What it takes to achieve LEED certification for buildings.
- Best practices for green-real-estate brokerages.
Get a consultation geared toward green-real-estate brokers.
Attract premium tenants with green real estate
Green commercial real estate is in high demand and low supply. Environmentally-conscious companies often view office space as low-hanging fruit that lets them quickly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Some studies indicate that green real estate translates to higher rents and that green buildings consistently have higher occupancy rates than regular ones.
It's also clear that green retrofits and energy-efficiency improvements slash electricity, heating and cooling costs.
Work with FirstCarbon to determine whether you should renovate any of your managed properties.
Get a consultation on managing green real estate.
Transform your hotel into a green hotel
It's no secret that sustainability practices reduce operating costs. Just look at a widespread practice that was once unthinkable: not changing bedding and towels every day unless hotel guests request it.
Increasingly savvy consumers are now pushing hotel operators to go even further, requesting:
- Energy and water conservation
- Nontoxic paint and cleaning products
- Paper products, furnishings and carpets made of recyclable materials.
Determine your hotel's carbon footprint – and learn what it will take to reduce it. FirstCarbon can recommend improvements ranging from energy efficiency all the way up to green retrofits.