Sustainability Milestones: Real Estate Transaction Strategy

Welcome back to Architecture 5 10 20! I’m your host, Guy Geier, Managing Partner of FXCollaborative Architects in New York. My guests for this podcast are pioneers and visionaries shaping the future of the built environment across various disciplines. Join me in exploring their remarkable journeys, discovering how they reach their current heights, and envisioning what lies ahead in the next 5, 10, and 20 years.

I am thrilled to welcome Adam Fisher to the podcast for this episode! Adam is the Managing Director of Sustainable Brokerage at JLL, and he joins me in this episode to discuss his background and how he became focused on the intersection of sustainability and real estate. After first studying mechanical engineering with a focus on energy efficiency, he made a transition into sustainability consulting and eventually joined JLL to help build out their sustainability strategies.

Listen in as Adam explains the concept of "sustainable transaction strategies", which goes beyond just green leasing to look at the entire lifecycle of a real estate transaction, including understanding the client's sustainability targets, identifying sustainable spaces and landlord partners, using sustainability in lease negotiations, and aligning on aspects such as but not limited to waste management.

A key challenge that Adam highlights in the episode is the gap between intentions and what is actually enforced when it comes to sustainability, and he strongly advocates for more specific, discrete clauses that outline clear responsibilities and verification for both landlords and tenants.

Looking ahead to the future, Adam is optimistic, seeing sustainability becoming more effectively integrated into core business processes rather than being a siloed function. Facility managers and building operators will need to be brought into the conversation and empowered to make sustainable decisions.

Overall, the real estate industry has a significant opportunity to drive meaningful change through informed, forward-looking decisions around sustainability, and Adam really helps drive this home. His insights into sustainable real estate transaction strategies emphasize the importance of a holistic process that embeds sustainability throughout the transaction cycle. As sustainability becomes further integrated into the real estate process and regulatory measures continue to be implemented, the industry has a unique opportunity and responsibility to drive meaningful change through informed, forward-looking decisions. Enjoy my conversation with Adam Fisher!

 

Time stamps:
[02:04] - Adam Fisher reveals how having watched the documentary An Inconvenient Truth sparked his journey into sustainable real estate solutions.
[04:37] - Hear how, at JLL, Adam bridged sustainability and brokerage by launching a unified advisory business model.
[06:54] - Sustainable transactions require aligning corporate goals, building selection, and lease terms from the very beginning.
[10:15] - Adam argues that most lease clauses lack teeth, so he advocates for enforceable commitments between parties.
[12:11] - Real estate sustainability work requires expertise in buildings, people, and persuasive communication and not just green knowledge.
[14:44] - Adam points out that strong early coordination among all stakeholders prevents surprises during lease negotiations and construction planning.
[16:46] - Companies set sustainability goals but unfortunately rarely integrate them into real estate.
[18:33] - Despite political backlash, many firms are quietly maintaining long-term sustainability and decarbonization commitments.
[20:39] - Adam points out that sustainability efforts have shifted from short-term savings to long-term asset value and risk avoidance.
[22:34] - Retrofitting buildings now prioritizes long-term value, tenant expectations, and risk avoidance.
[24:11] - High tenant demand for sustainable real estate far exceeds current supply.
[26:37] - Adam argues that sustainability needs to be integrated into core business operations and not treated as a separate initiative.
[29:15] - Education is crucial so building operators understand and properly use high-performance systems as are intended.
[30:38] - Engaging operators directly is ke or else smart building strategies will fail despite great planning.

Links / Resources:
Guy Geier
Instagram | Twitter

Adam Fisher / JLL
Adam's LinkedIn | JLL Website | JLL LinkedIn