Menu

Fundamentals

Fundamentals is a practical, GRESB-aligned approach for real estate firms to align with sustainability expectations, validate core practices, and demonstrate progress—using a focused set of GRESB indicators.

Register your interest

Clarity before comparison

Built from a narrow set of key management indicators considered common good practices in real estate, Fundamentals is designed to help you:

  • Get your bearings: Understand what “good” looks like without the complexity of the full Real Estate Assessment
  • Focus on the basics: Tackle 17 foundational indicators aligned with the GRESB Real Estate Standard without diving into asset-level data
  • Receive a clear outcome: Get a pass or fail result without rankings plus preliminary benchmarking insights to learn from
  • Start credibly, with lower effort: Take a manageable first step to gain insights and set a clear path forward

How it works

Fundamentals is a short assessment available year-round that firms complete at their convenience. The steps include:

Sign up online

Real estate firms can secure Fundamentals participation from our online store at any time throughout the year for one or multiple participating fund entities. Once complete, they will receive an onboarding package and have access to guidance and support.

Prepare evidence

After signing up, firms can use the Fundamentals Guide to gather evidence and organize the submission for the 17 covered indicators that are organized into six themes: Commitments, Governance, Policies, Risk Assessments, Stakeholder Engagement, and Monitoring.

Submit when ready

Fundamentals is not tied to the full assessment timeline, so firms can submit whenever they are prepared. With a condensed suite of indicators focused on management practices, this can be done relatively quickly.

Get your results

After submission, GRESB will validate responses, provide indicator-level feedback to help teams understand strengths and gaps, and provide a report with a clear pass or fail result. No rankings, ratings, or peer comparisons—just insights and validation of your progress.

Fundamentals & the full Assessment

While based on a selection of shared indicators, Fundamentals is not a full real estate assessment, and it is not designed to replace it. Instead, it is an on-ramp for sustainability progress that:

  • Introduces the structure, expectations, and shared language of GRESB
  • Reduces uncertainty and friction before taking a comprehensive assessment
  • Helps teams get prepared and understand how to move forward

For many firms, Fundamentals is the first step towards satisfying investor expectations and progressing to the full Real Estate Assessment.

Have questions about Fundamentals? Or interested in getting started?

Fundamentals will be available in 2026. Reach out if you have questions, or register your interest to stay informed about availability

Name(Required)
Address(Required)
Consent(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

FAQ

  • No. Fundamentals is a separate, entry-level engagement with a significantly reduced reporting burden. It does not produce a GRESB Score or Star Rating.

  • Fundamentals is available year-round and open to real estate funds seeking a focused starting point before full participation in the GRESB Real Estate Assessment.

  • Fundamentals does not provide full benchmarking, rankings, or peer comparisons like the GRESB Real Estate Assessment. Instead, it delivers a focused Pass/Fail outcome supported by a formal report, alongside limited contextual benchmarking against early-stage participants to help organizations understand their positioning.

    Results are not benchmarked against peers and are not used for rankings. The results are provided to you for review, internal engagement, and to demonstrate commitment to investors or other stakeholders.

  • Fundamentals is designed for new real estate reporting entities preparing for participation in the GRESB Real Estate Assessment, including organizations strengthening governance and risk management practices or operating in evolving disclosure environments. Existing Real Estate Assessment Participants are not eligible. Read more about eligibility criteria in GRESB Guide.

  • The 17 indicators covered by Fundamentals have been identified as key common practices for real estate organizations by the GRESB Foundation. Completing Fundamentals helps organizations establish a strong baseline before participating in the full GRESB Real Estate Assessment.

  • Participants control how and whether results are shared. Participation includes a Fundamentals Report that can be used for investor and stakeholder communication.

  • Fundamentals is designed to prepare participants for the full Real Estate Assessment. Many organizations use it to build internal capability before stepping up to full participation.