It may not be the first thing you think about when it comes to improving asset values, but improving air quality can be a great way to optimize returns from a commercial real estate investment.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the top five "most urgent environmental risks to public health". Poor air quality can create health risks such as irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; dizziness or headaches; rashes; breathing difficulty and even chronic asthma. Of course, allowing building tenants to be exposed to hazardous indoor air creates risk of liability and significant lawsuits. This puts great emphasis on building owners, managers, and employers to take a proactive approach to improving air quality. Considering that the average American spends up to 90% of their time indoors, OSHA acknowledges that "indoor air quality is a major concern to businesses, schools, building managers, tenants, and workers because it can impact the health, comfort, well-being, and productivity of the building occupants."

Additionally, tenants are increasingly demanding healthier living and working spaces: there is greater awareness of the impact of air quality on health and livability, evidenced by the growing demand for tools that track IAQ. For example, San Francisco-based Bitfinder recently introduced a popular platform that monitors and reports on how humidity, dust particles and temperature affect health. The company hopes it will set the stage for an IAQ health standard for buildings, much like LEED certification for energy efficiency.