Summary

Sam and Sarah Adams of Vert Asset Management join our host to discuss beer, sustainable real estate investing and the importance of shareholder advocacy in achieving positive impact. They explain the difference between REITs and real estate funds, as well as the transition from a mutual fund to an ETF. The Adams highlight the financial performance of sustainable real estate investments and the role of academics in identifying important sustainability issues. They also discuss the impact of emissions and energy efficiency in real estate and the need for global investments in the sector. The conversation concludes with recommendations for the real estate industry to address the climate crisis.

Takeaways

Sustainable real estate investments can deliver competitive market rates of return without sacrificing positive impact.

Emissions in real estate come from embodied carbon in building materials, operational carbon from electricity use, and facility emissions from gas and other appliances.

Academics play a crucial role in identifying important sustainability issues and measuring the financial performance of sustainable real estate investments.

Global investments in real estate provide diversification and exposure to different sectors and countries.

The real estate industry should focus on retrofitting older buildings, setting net-zero targets, and engaging in energy audits to improve sustainability.

Dogfish Head is good beer, as is Sam Adams. The guys particularly like Wicked Hazy, Wicked Easy, and the 90 Minute IPA.

Chapters

00:00 Beer Recommendations and Intro to Vert Asset Management

07:57 Difference between REITs and Real Estate Funds

10:09 Transition from Mutual Fund to ETF

11:37 Performance and Learning Curve of Sustainable Real Estate

15:32 Emissions and Energy Efficiency in Real Estate

24:08 Global Investments in Real Estate

27:23 Role of Academics in Real Estate Investing

32:07 Recommendations for Real Estate to Address Climate Crisis