GreenLight Project Partner Publishes a Sustainability Website

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Dynamic.RE became a GreenLight Solutions Project Partner in the spring of 2021 in hopes of bringing sustainable practices into their business for the first time. Dynamic RE is a successful real estate investing company. They leverage technology and expertise to help clients identify a property’s highest and best use through various investment strategies. Co-founders Masrur Huq and LaMonte Key recognized that their business was missing an important aspect: sustainability. A team of Solutioneers from GreenLight Solutions was formed to develop the means of integration. The team consisted of Ashlee Taylor, Julia Aumann, Landon Harsch, and Vrashab Sheregar.

This project’s most significant challenges were the open-ended nature of the issue and the lack of sustainability knowledge in the real estate industry. There were many different opportunities for intervention without many existing examples of successful sustainability solutions within the context of real estate. The Solutioneers were excited by this opportunity to create something new that would bring sustainability knowledge and awareness to the real estate community.

The objective of the project was to gather resources to inform Dynamic RE clientele about sustainability opportunities and also to encourage sustainable investing. The team’s first step was to research the real estate industry’s environmental, economic, and social impacts. Data was collected over the course of one week. Each team member collected three data sets and brought them back to the team for deliberation to identify potential intervention points within the real estate industry. Additional research was done on available programs, incentives, tools, and companies that could aid Dynamic RE’s clientele in incorporating sustainability into their properties. These resources focused on environmental initiatives in waste management, energy efficiency, water consumption, housing materials and appliances, community engagement, and/or landscaping. The resources were then categorized in Notion according to the resource type, the clientele that it applied to, and the initiative category it fell under. Each resource was accompanied by a brief description, a justification as to why the team felt that resource aligned with the project, and an explanation of what an individual could do with this resource. The Solutioneers’ goal was to gather a total of 84 resources, but they were able to significantly exceed their target by gathering 111 resources in total! The team also found that the real estate industry accounts for 30% of total carbon dioxide emissions, 40% of all energy used, and 40% of raw materials consumed!

After data collection, the resources found by the team were transferred to a database management platform (Airtable) and ultimately transferred to the platform Softr where a resource website for real estate professionals was built. The webpage connects real estate professionals to sustainability initiatives and tools that help to encourage further sustainable integration into the industry. On the website, users can filter resources based on their location, the type of property owner they are, and the environmental initiative they’re interested in to find the resource that’s right for them. The website also includes a link to a survey to allow Dynamic RE to further perfect and tailor the website to meet the needs and desires of their clientele, as well as an “Add a Resource” button that enables the collection of resources to grow organically and be used indefinitely.

Soluntioneers Ashlee Taylor, Julia Aumann, Landon Harsch, and Vrashab Sheregar are proud and grateful for their experience working with GreenLight Solutions and hope their website allows Dynamic RE’s clientele to create sustainable change and encourage further change within the real estate industry. The team gained valuable knowledge on research and sustainable real estate investing. The team was able to see the significant and detrimental impacts of real estate, but are hopeful that as long as companies like Dynamic RE seeking the development of resources like this website, the real estate industry can continue to grow with sustainability in mind.

Check it out at https://greenlight.dynamic.re/! The Showcase video for this project can also be found here.