Two of the initiatives stand out. First, the company eliminated the use of bottled water by installing a water filtration system. Second, the company introduced the use of electronic notebooks to replace the paper books that are prepared when presenting office-space alternatives to clients.
"Clients are able to view profiles of prospective properties on a slim Dell Tablet and, at the conclusion of the tour, receive a tiny flash drive instead of a 40-page book," said Studley Branch Manager George Fox.
Fox recognized Kandy Kidd of his office, a LEED accredited professional in the firm's national Sustainable Real Estate Practice, as the driving force behind the certification effort. The benefits can go well beyond feeling good about yourself and your operation, he added.
"Many companies have created social responsibility departments that influence their organization's real estate decisions and they want to work with advisers who are as committed as they are," he says. "Making environmentally sound real estate decisions can enhance recruitment, boost productivity and increase employee satisfaction, in addition to being the right thing to do."
Studley is the first commercial brokerage firm in the Bay Area to earn the green business designation. Studley and other Palo Alto-based businesses that have been certified by the county will be fe.ted by city officials at a recognition event next month.
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