For and Beyond the Plaques: Sustainable Certification Adoption
and Its Impact on Real Estate Decision-Making in the Boston-Cambridge Market
Name
Huang-OSH517-msred-cre-2025-Thesis.pdf
Description
Thesis PDF
Size
10.62 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
43e3f841de412e0d1d070814a92d5411
Author(s)
Huang, Shenglin
Advisor(s)
Palacios, Juan
Zheng, Siqi
Date Issued
February 2025
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
As demand for green and healthy buildings grows, real estate developers face complex decisions regarding building certification adoptions, which have become influential in real estate market dynamics. This thesis investigates how developers in the competitive Boston-Cambridge area navigate the sophisticated certification landscape—focusing on LEED, ENERGY STAR, WELL, Fitwel, and WiredScore/SmartScore—to gain competitive advantages, attract and retain tenants, maximize financial performance, and align with regulatory requirements and ESG goals.
Using a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative analysis of certification overlaps and trends, along with qualitative insights from industry interviews, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of how real estate developers strategically use certifications to influence asset value while meeting tenant and investor expectations. Findings offer potentially actionable insights into how certifications shape market positioning and inform the decision-making process in real estate development.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Real Estate. Program in Real Estate Development.
Terms of Use
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Copyright retained by author(s)
Persistent DSpace Link
