Arthaland's premium green buildings continue to increase in value amid strong demand

In its Q2 2021 Philippine Property Market Report, leading commercial real estate brokerage professional services and investment management company Colliers states that with the prolonged pandemic office space vacancy in Metro Manila is now projected to worsen to over 15 percent this year from its original forecast of 12.5 percent, while rental rates are falling by 20 percent. It goes on to add that due to an anemic demand for residential projects, prices and rents have been consistently declining across all Metro Manila submarkets since Q2 2020 when prices and rents declined by 6.1% and 2.1%, respectively. But against this bleak backdrop, Arthaland’s premium green buildings have performed well to the delight of investors and unit owners.

According to data provided by Colliers, capital values of Arya Residences, the first and only residential building in the country to receive both LEED Gold and BERDE 4-star certification, are up 20% to Php359,300 per sqm in 2Q 2021 compared with Php299,800 per sqm before the pandemic in 2Q 2019. Arthaland Century Pacific Tower (ACPT), the word’s first EDGE Zero Carbon certified project, is one of the few office buildings in Bonifacio Global City from luxury real estate developers whose lease rates have significantly gone up when the prevailing trend is a reduction in prices. ACPT’s lease rates are up by 22% to Php1,833 per sqm in 2Q 2021 versus Php 1,500 per sqm in 2Q 2019 and it is currently 100% leased out.

“Building green works. Apart from providing building occupants a better quality of life and helping save the environment, the market is starting to realize that investing in eco friendly properties can produce measurable financial gains,” said Oliver Chan, Arthaland’s Senior Vice President and Head of Sales.

According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) report Green Buildings: A Finance and Policy Blueprint for emerging markets, green buildings have higher rental income than traditional buildings - up to 8 percent higher and sale premiums up to 31 percent higher. Green buildings also have higher occupancy rates of up to 23 percent, higher tenant retention, and lower vacancy rates. Green buildings are also more efficient than traditional buildings and can lower operating costs, increase revenues, and reduce exposure to the physical and transition risks presented by climate change. These factors can increase the valuation of green buildings, making them stronger credit assets and better collateral. The World Green Building Council, on the other hand, says green buildings have been shown to save money through reduced energy and water consumption and lower long-term operations and maintenance costs. The physical characteristics of buildings and indoor environments can also influence worker productivity and occupant health and well- being, resulting in bottom line benefits for businesses.

Moreover, businesses will appreciate savings from a green office. Arthaland office spaces are designed to maximize natural light, optimize air cooling capabilities, and minimize water consumption. These features allow locators to save at least 40% on energy bills and at least 20% on water, further setting them up for long-term business growth.

“Investing in a high-performance green building is one of the best financial decisions you will ever make during this time of uncertainty. And at Arthaland, you will get the added benefit of excellent service and top-notch upkeep from its in-house property management company, Arthaland Prestige Property Solutions, Inc.” said Chan.

Arthaland Prestige Property Solutions (formerly known as Emera Property Management Inc.) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Arthaland Corporation that approaches property and facility management from an owner’s perspective to deliver unparalleled asset management services and energy-efficient solutions to ensure that clients’ real estate investments are properly taken care of.

For more information about Arthaland, call +63917 77 ARTHA (28742), e-mail ask@arthaland.com, or visit www.arthaland.com. Arthaland has several projects that are currently on the market. These are the Savya Financial Center, the next generation sustainable Grade A office condominium in highly connected ARCA South; Cebu Exchange, Arthaland’s multi-certified flagship green office building in Southern Philippines; Sevina Park located in Biñan, Laguna, the first and only master-planned mixed-used community to achieve LEED ® Platinum for Neighborhood Development; and Lucima, the first quadruple-certified sustainable high-rise residential condominium in the country located in Cebu Business Park.