The Positive and Negative Effects of Sustainability on Real Estate Transaction Prices

In last decades, there is a trend to renew buildings and make them more sustainable. Studies have shown that energy measures (as an aspect of sustainability) often increase the value of real estate. The effect of other sustainability measures on real estate values, however, is unknown. This study examines the relationship between multiple sustainability aspects and the transaction prices of different types of real estate. For this study, we used official data on commercial real estate transactions from the Land Registry Office in the Netherlands and sustainability assessment scores from a Dutch sustainability consultant. In total, 10,652 real estate transaction prices between 2012 and 2023 and corresponding sustainability scores were used to perform regressions and hedonic imputation analyses. The results show that, opposed to energy, other aspects of sustainability often correlate negatively with transaction prices in the lower segment of sustainable real estate. These aspects correlate positively in the upper segment of sustainable real estate.