by Brianna Crandall — February 18, 2015—Demonstrating the evolution of sustainability from being viewed as an “added bonus” to a critical component in any commercial real estate asset, global property advisor CBRE Group recently announced the launch of an innovative broker training video and resource center specifically designed and aimed at understanding and promoting sustainable aspects of commercial buildings. CBRE’s training program will be offered to the company’s more than 2,900 U.S. brokerage professionals.
“Sustainability has become a business imperative for many of our clients—tenants and landlords alike,” commented Jack Durburg, Global President, CBRE Brokerage Services. “Many of our brokerage professionals are enhancing their knowledge of sustainable real estate to expand their capabilities and best serve their clients’ needs in a changing marketplace.”
The Green Building Adoption Index, a recent CBRE-sponsored study, found that the rapid expansion of “green” space in the United States has led to green buildings now exceeding 50 percent of commercial office space in several markets.
“CBRE’s brokerage professionals are often the first contact a prospective tenant meets when considering to occupy space in one of our clients’ buildings and many landlords have made significant investments to improve and promote their sustainability characteristics,” added Dave Pogue, CBRE’s Global Director of Corporate Responsibility. “Our innovative new training will ensure our brokers have up-to-the-minute knowledge and appropriate resources to best serve our clients.”
A preview video of the training program is available on the CBRE Web site.
The company’s introduction of the broker training initiative joins other sustainability milestone achievements for CBRE, including:
- A recognized global leader in the certification of 335 LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings) facilities, with another 226 buildings in the current pipeline;
- A top Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR Certification Nation 2014 Elite Member;
- Trained more than 16,000 attendees through the CBRE BOMA Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP) since 2008.
CBRE’s Environmental Sustainability program includes global commitments in 11 key areas of environmentally sound performance including resource management, occupancy, communications and training, public policy and procurement. The program provides best practices and initiatives that strengthen CBRE’s own environmental commitment, reflect the best environmental practices for clients’ properties, and provide vital training and education to CBRE professionals.
