In its 2022 Global Investor Outlook Report and other research, Colliers has found that "sustainability is no longer a 'nice to have.'"

"Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations, particularly environmental ones, are prominent on the investor agenda, with three quarters of investors integrating environmental factors into their strategies," the report said.

"I think the surprise is the rapid adoption of ESG policies," Aaron Jodka, director of research US capital markets at Colliers, tells GlobeSt.com. "I think there's a general misunderstanding that the US-based investors are less concerned about ESG, and our survey suggests that is not the case. The building environment is a contributor to the broader market and real estate investors are paying attention to that. Their investors are also looking at that, whether it's a pension fund or other types of institutional investors. It matters. Our survey showed that we're still playing catchup on ESG-specific investing in the US, but environmental factors are now playing a part in the majority of asset performance reviews."