Sustainable Buildings Grow in Popularity Across U.S.
Interest in sustainable building continues to surge in this country and around the world.
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) now boasts more than 19,000 members, and in March, the USGBC proclaimed that the 5,000th project had been LEED certified. This number excludes certified new homes. Nearly half of these projects became certified in 2009, a particularly difficult year for the industry.
There are currently close to 20,000 projects that have been registered in over 90 countries. Altogether, commercial building space with LEED certification amounts to more than 5 billion square feet.
Within the United States, the states that have the most LEED certified buildings are as follows (in order):
- California
- Florida
- Texas
- New York
- Illinois
- Washington
- Pennsylvania
- Michigan
- Colorado
- Oregon
California has over 800 certified buildings, and number two Florida has just over 300.
With over 135,000 LEED-credentialed professionals, green building represents an opportunity for job growth, particularly in the greenest states.
According to the Green Building Certification Institute, as of February 10, 2010, the largest numbers of LEED APs were Architects, with almost 39,904. Next was Construction Management professionals with 18,573.
As the demand for LEED certified buildings continues to spiral, the number of professionals needed to service this growth will likewise increase. Look for more and more real estate brokers, attorneys, and appraisers to become certified as demand for expertise in the industry extends to the professions that are tangentially related to design and construction.
-Jonathan Fischer, MAI
Jonathan Fischer, MAI, is a Managing Director in NAI Global’s New York City office and works with investors and financial institutions as a member of NAI’s Special Asset Solutions group.
About the author
Education Mr. Fischer holds a BS degree in Economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, with a dual major in Finance and Economics. Background & Experience Jonathan Fischer is a seasoned real estate professional with an established track record of sales, investment, property management, and valuation experience. Fischer began his career as a real estate appraiser in 1985, and was president and founder of Fischer Appraisal Associates, Inc. As a Vice President at Peracon, Inc. he was notably instrumental in helping to establish the firm as the dominant online institutional sales platform in the United States. Before joining Peracon, Fischer served as Director of Corporate Real Estate for Prudential Financial, and was responsible for a portfolio of over 1,000 properties having receipts for lease payments of over $240 million. Another career highlight includes serving in the Realty Consulting Group for Deloitte & Touche in Los Angeles, providing consulting and valuation services to large, institutional clients throughout the country. He resides in Englewood, NJ with his wife Allyson and their three children. Professional Affiliations & Designations Mr. Fischer holds an Associate Broker’s license in New York, and is a licensed real estate salesperson in New Jersey. He is a Member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI), and served on the Planning Board of the City of Englewood in New Jersey.
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