The wants and needs of building occupants continually change in the dynamic world of commercial real estate.

Prior to the pandemic, tenants considering new office space looked carefully at price, location, accessibility, and ownership reputation, all of which represent the landlord’s traditional selling points.

During the pandemic and its aftermath, however, the focus has changed.

I routinely see many tenants and landlords more interested in indoor air quality. For instance, many clients will not even tour a property unless they are assured the air conditioning and heating systems are relatively new and well-maintained.

A related issue growing in importance is windows that save more energy and provide greater comfort. In fact, I’ve recently seen several landlords replace existing windows to gain these benefits, and building occupants want to know their workspace positively affects their health, wellbeing, and performance.

When landlords can add the benefits of windows that save energy, provide access to plenty of natural light, and help reduce carbon emissions to their buildings, it becomes yet another selling point for them – one that is likely to align with the values of today’s sustainability-conscious customers.

Jonathan I. Hamburger is Vice President of Advisory and Transaction Services at CBRE, a full-service real estate services and investment firm that operates in over 100 countries.