Skip to main content

AP Credential Bundle: $519 $389 — code SITELAUNCH25. Ends May 31 Get started →

The Jack building in Seattle's Pioneer Square — the world's first SEAM Certified location
Building Certification

Certify that your building improves human impact

SEAM Certification is a first-of-its-kind operating system for managing human impact in real estate, from design, construction, and procurement through day-to-day operations.

The business case

Equity impacts your bottom line.

A decade of research confirms it — equitable organizations and certified buildings outperform their peers across every metric that matters.

McKinsey, 2023

Diverse executive teams

39%

more likely to outperform

McKinsey, 2023

CBRE, 2024

Certified buildings

4–8%

rent premium

CBRE, 2024

Gallup Q12

Inclusive workplaces

51%

lower turnover

Gallup Q12

MIT Center for Real Estate

Tenant satisfaction

8.6%

lease renewal lift per point

MIT Center for Real Estate

The framework

Four pillars, one interconnected standard

Much like your building, social equity is an ecosystem of interdependent efforts. With progress in each SEAM pillar, you move closer to certification.

01

Identify who your project affects, engage them meaningfully, and measure whether your efforts are actually working.

02

Build equity into how your organization operates through governance practices, community engagement, and social investments that reflect your values.

03

Advance equity and inclusion across procurement, the workplace, the community, and access to capital, while pushing the field forward.

04

Uphold human rights across your supply chain, support safe working conditions, and protect the health of the people your project touches.

The process

From registration to certification

01

Register your project

Submit your project details and select your certification track. Our team will confirm eligibility and assign an initial assessment scope.

Register now →
02

Complete the assessment

Work with a SEAM AP to evaluate your building across all four pillars. Document existing practices, identify gaps, and build an implementation plan.

03

Implement and verify

Execute your plan. A third-party reviewer verifies performance through documentation review and community engagement surveys.

04

Earn your certification

Receive your Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification. O+M certification recertifies every three years to maintain the achievement and demonstrate ongoing commitment.

Certification levels

Recognition that reflects real progress

Four levels of SEAM Certification align to the Impact Management Project's ABCs: avoiding harm, benefiting people, and contributing to solutions.

Bronze certification

Bronze

Acting to avoid harm

The project is making measurable progress toward international social targets. Foundational activities are in place. Harm is being identified and addressed.

IMP: Act to Avoid Harm

Silver certification

Silver

Preventing harm

The project has moved from awareness to active prevention — with a demonstrated commitment to growing into positive social impact over time.

IMP: Act to Avoid Harm (advanced)

Gold certification

Gold

Achieving positive impact

The project is actively improving the well-being of impacted parties. Social outcomes fall within a sustainable range — real benefit, not just reduced harm.

IMP: Benefit Impacted Parties

Platinum certification

Platinum

Contributing to solutions

The project is setting the standard for the industry — achieving lasting positive impact at scale, with benefits that extend beyond the project itself.

IMP: Contribute to Solutions

What makes us different

The only social equity standard for real estate

Social equity, not just sustainability

Environmental certifications measure how a building performs for the planet. Wellness certifications measure how it performs for physical health. SEAM complements both by measuring how it performs for people, communities, and those in the supply chain the building touches.

A holistic approach

Each certification level reflects demonstrated progress across all four pillars. The path to Platinum is built on transformative, long-term solutions across the Standard's pillars.

Community voice in evaluation

Certification isn't just a paperwork exercise. SEAM includes activities that incorporate direct surveys and interviews with occupants, workers, and neighbors.

Ongoing verification

SEAM Operation + Maintenance Certification requires recertification every three years. Buildings must demonstrate sustained commitment to social equity.

[SEAM Certification] reflects our belief that real estate carries a responsibility for strengthening neighborhoods, advancing fair business practices, and creating spaces designed to support the people who rely on them.

Greg Smith

CEO, Urban Visions · The Jack

Investment

Estimate your certification investment

Use the calculator below to estimate fees based on your project type, size, and any applicable discounts. Registration locks in your fee schedule for 24 months.

sq ft
1K 100K 1M 10M 20M
Community Membership
Qualifying Project — $500 off Includes projects in Emerging Market economies as classified by the World Bank. This covers upper-middle-income countries with developing financial markets and infrastructure. See eligible countries →

Total First-Year Investment

$7,625 – $11,375

$0.044/sq ft

Registration Fee

One-time — locks fees for 24 mo

$2,000

Verification by Certification Level

Bronze

Bronze

$5,625

Silver

Silver

$6,875

Gold

Gold

$8,125

Platinum

Platinum

$9,375

These are estimates. Final pricing is confirmed at registration based on your specific project scope. Discounts are applied during registration review and may be combined. Learn about organization membership →

Start a project

Getting started with SEAM Certification

Tell us about your project and we'll connect you with the right resources — whether that's a SEAM AP, a gap assessment, or just a conversation about where to begin.

  • No commitment required
  • Typical response within 2 business days
  • We'll match you with a SEAM AP if needed