As ESG continues to be a top priority for both investors, occupiers and end users alike, poor-performing assets may experience price discounts, CBRE experts predict. 

The firm's 2021 Global Investor Intentions Survey shows that investors intend to deploy even more capital this year—potentially 15% to 20% more than last year—as the global economy continues to recover from COVID-19 woes. And as those investors, together with consumers and tenants, sharpen their collective focus on ESG initiatives, "real estate assets that are not upgraded accordingly run the risk of becoming obsolete," the report notes.

Property management in particular will be critical to both foster tenant engagement and reduce daily carbon emissions, according to CBRE—particularly since many countries have committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. More than half of investors (led largely by EMEA-based real estate funds, pension funds, and investment managers) surveyed by CBRE say they're adopting ESG criteria for prospective investments.