Cliffhanger: Which of these investors will earn a green value premium?

 

Do you believe that achieving a value premium on green properties is possible? Even in the currently tough market?

Well, Jamestown and the State of California have both recently been in the press talking about how they expect to realize extra value from their commercial real estate via green and energy efficiency strategies.

Check out the articles and tell us if you think their projects should earn them greater returns than non-green market peers.

Jamestown: $3-$10 Million Portfolio-wide Retrofit Commitment

Jamestown has committed to greening its entire $4 billion commercial real estate portfolio. In the recent New York Times article about their efforts, they point to their European sensibilities as being the reason why they moved ahead with a portfolio-wide commitment to greening existing buildings.

When  you read through the savings and quick paybacks that they report achieving, it seems clear that their focus is on low-hanging fruit. After all, $3mm-$10mm in retrofit costs are peanuts on a $4 billion portfolio. The good news is that they report realizing immediate savings — meaning permanent increases to property net operating income.

Nonetheless, or perhaps because of that, they focus on the green/energy efficient building’s ability to attract the right kinds of tenants and assure the asset’s sale to a broader pool of buyers. The article showcases several recent efforts, including 999 Peachtree Street in Atlanta, GA, which recently earned LEED-Gold status.

We actively follow how German and other European investors are moving quickly to incorporate comprehensive acquisition and portfolio management sustainability programs. You can read previous posts about these investors’ enhanced criteria and due diligence here. More good stuff –> If you receive Pacesetter, our newsletter, you recently read and downloaded the new EECE study ranking global property funds according to reported and implemented energy efficiency practices.

State of California: Will Green Buildings Net Higher Sales Prices?

The State of California recently put a portfolio of 11 properties, totaling 7.3 million square feet, on the market for sale-leaseback transactions. The State is reporting that these properties, most of them being, in their words, “some of California’s most energy efficient and environmentally friendly properties” could sell for $2 billion, and would be “attractive to a market that is seeking sustainable, green designs.”

What makes this an item worth tracking is that the state official making that quote is also reported as saying that the sale will allow the State of California to “lock-in the lowest rental rates seen in years“.  Bids on the sale are due 14 April. It will be interesting to see the extent to which a green premium can be realized when market or transaction conditions stipulate particularly low rents.  The beauty of real estate is that it is not rocket science — there is no free lunch, and all trade offs come with their price. We are seeing and hearing that, in tough markets, green strategies help to hold back some amount of value deterioration, but are not necessarily rewarded with immediate upside.

That being said, there are multiple angles to watch here.  For instance, the concerns expressed recently by some investors about the mixed-use Boston property that attracted 27 bidders and might close at a “crazy” 6% cap rate.

Why the concern? That cap rate, indicating a valuation far higher than typical for the current point in the real estate cycle (even for Boston), reflects the current shortage of high quality properties combined with a lot of capital on the sidelines. This kind of activity raises fears of a liquidity bubble, even in these tough times, as investors pay up to win what few good deals are available.

That could be a strategy that helps Schwarzenegger shrink the state’s debt woes by more than they would typically recover from the assets.

Yes, the excitement continues!