LEED-certified buildings consistently command higher rents than their non-LEED peers, according to new research from Cushman & Wakefield.  

Since 2015, rents for LEED-certified buildings have averaged 11% higher rents than non-LEED properties. And while those rents have typically been accompanied by higher vacancies, those tides appear to be changing. Since 2018, vacancies for LEED properties have fallen sharply⁠—so much so that prior to the pandemic LEED vacancy fell below non-LEED. As a result, "the outperformance of LEED-certified buildings has only widened since then, displaying resilience as the larger office sector has faced headwinds."

In addition, LEED-certified assets outperformed their non-LEED counterparts in the first three years of life, averaging about 29.6 higher percentage points of RevPAF growth. That delta was highest during the peak years of the recession (2010 to 2012), suggesting newly delivered LEED buildings were more resilient during the softening of the real estate market.