GRESB Assessment

GRESB is the leading investor-driven international benchmark for the ESG performance of real estate portfolios and funds, assessed annually. We guide you through the entire cycle – data collection, gap analysis and submission – with support from a GRESB AP credential holder.

GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) has been the leading international, investor-driven benchmark for assessing ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance in real estate and infrastructure since 2009. It is currently used by institutional and financial investors worldwide, and its assessment covers thousands of real estate portfolios, infrastructure funds and individual assets. In the 2025 reporting cycle, a total of 2,382 assessments were submitted.

Unlike BREEAM or LEED, which certify individual buildings, GRESB does not assess buildings on their own. It is an annual assessment of an entire portfolio or fund, benchmarking its ESG performance against participants worldwide. GRESB results are not made public. They are available only to the participant itself and to GRESB Investor Members. This is precisely why investors, banks and parent companies increasingly require participation in GRESB as a condition or reference criterion when making capital allocation decisions.

At Grinity, we guide you through the entire cycle - from setting up data collection, through gap analysis against the indicators, to submitting the assessment and interpreting the results for your investors.

Who is GRESB for?

GRESB is particularly suitable for:

Developers with ongoing new-build or renovation projects
Investors and property owners who want to benchmark their portfolio's performance against the market and identify areas for further improvement
Real estate and infrastructure fund managers who need to demonstrate their portfolio's ESG performance to investors
Publicly traded real estate companies and REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts)

Key Benefits of the GRESB Assessment

Standardized ESG data that is understood by investors, banks and business partners alike
Objective comparison of portfolio performance against similar portfolios on the local and global market
Identification of risks and improvement opportunities across the entire portfolio
Support in meeting investor expectations and regulatory requirements (e.g. in connection with SFDR, the EU Taxonomy and TCFD)
Increased attractiveness of the portfolio to capital markets and easier access to financing
A single framework for managing decarbonization and portfolio performance in the areas of energy, water and waste

Structure of the GRESB Assessment

Under the 2026 Standard, the GRESB Real Estate Assessment comprises five components, four of which are scored:

Entity & Reporting Characteristics (not scored) – definition of the portfolio scope and the reporting period
Management (max. 30 points) – entity-level strategy, leadership, policies, risk management and stakeholder engagement
Performance (max. 70 points) – operational portfolio performance, in particular energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water, waste, building certifications, and tenant and community engagement
Development (max. 70 points) – sustainability during the design and construction of new-build projects and during major renovations
Residential (max. 3.5 points) – a supplementary module for standing-investment portfolios in which residential assets account for at least 75% of gross asset value (GAV, Gross Asset Value)

Management, combined with Performance, forms the GRESB Standing Investments Benchmark, with a maximum total of 100 points. Management, combined with Development, forms the GRESB Development Benchmark, which also has a maximum of 100 points. Portfolios that include assets in both lifecycle stages receive both reports. The Residential component does not serve as a benchmark on its own: alongside the Standing Investments report, it earns you a Residential Sector Insight.

How the GRESB Score and GRESB Rating Are Calculated

The resulting GRESB Score, ranging from 0 to 100 points for each benchmark, translates into a GRESB Rating on a 1–5 star scale. The Rating is quintile-based and is determined by a participant's position within the global comparison of all current participants in that benchmark:

GRESB Rating	Position in the global comparison
★★★★★	Top quintile (top 20% of participants)
★★★★	2nd quintile
★★★	3rd quintile
★★	4th quintile
★	Bottom quintile (bottom 20% of participants)

Assessment Timeline

The GRESB Assessment runs each year according to a fixed timeline. For the 2026 reporting cycle, the GRESB Portal opened on 1 April 2026, closed for submissions on 1 July 2026, preliminary results will be available on 1 September 2026, and final results will be made accessible to participants and GRESB Investor Members on 1 October 2026. Specific dates may vary slightly from year to year.

As with BREEAM and LEED certification, early engagement – ideally several months before the portal opens – enables systematic data collection, an internal gap analysis of individual indicators, and the avoidance of time pressure and errors in the supporting documentation.

Our GRESB Services

Our team includes a holder of the GRESB Accredited Professional (GRESB AP) credential – an internationally recognized qualification awarded by GRESB that verifies the knowledge and professional competence needed to collect, manage, and report ESG data within the GRESB Assessment for real estate and infrastructure. The credential is earned by passing an annual exam and is valid for 12 months. We renew it for every reporting cycle, and holders can be verified in the public GRESB AP Directory. On this basis, we guide you through the entire process of preparing and submitting your GRESB Assessment.

Advisory and support from a holder of the GRESB Accredited Professional (GRESB AP) credential throughout the preparation and submission of the assessment
Gap analysis against individual indicators in the Management, Performance and Development areas, with concrete recommendations to improve your final score
Evaluation of energy, water and waste consumption data at both portfolio and asset level
Taking building certifications (BREEAM, LEED, DGNB) into account within the Performance and Development components and working with the relevant certification documentation
Review of tenancy arrangements from a Green Lease and tenant-engagement perspective
Alignment with the CRREM analysis, EU Taxonomy assessment and other ESG reporting standards we already prepare for our clients

→ More on EU Taxonomy Assessment
→ More on BREEAM Certification
→ More on LEED Certification
→ More on ESG Advisory

What You Receive

We tailor the deliverables to the scope of our cooperation. Within a standard scope, you receive:

A gap analysis against the indicators of the relevant cycle, quantifying the point impact of each measure
A data template for collecting energy, water and waste consumption data at asset level, including rules for estimation and data coverage
The completed assessment, submitted through the GRESB Portal, together with the supporting documentation provided
An interpretation of the results and the benchmark report, plus an action plan for the next cycle

The point allocations, thresholds and dates given above correspond to the GRESB Standard and the 2026 reporting cycle. GRESB updates the Standard every year. Before deciding to participate, always check the version of the Standard applicable to the cycle in question.

Do you need support with preparing for the GRESB Assessment, or would you like to learn about the specific benefits it could bring to your portfolio? Contact us – we'll be happy to discuss the scope of cooperation with no obligation and propose the optimal preparation strategy.