Social impact certification launches for CRE development, joining LEED and WELL
Originally published in Bisnow.
A new nonprofit called SEAM Inc. (social equity assessment method) has launched a certification program to standardize social impact measurement in commercial real estate development.
From JLL to social equity
Founded by industry veterans Rainey Shane and Alex Demestihas — both employed at JLL with combined 30 years of CRE experience — SEAM "addresses a critical gap in understanding and metrics surrounding the social impact of commercial real estate," Shane stated.
The certification evaluates projects across social equity criteria inspired by UN Sustainable Development Goals, covering areas including community involvement, social investment, equity and justice, innovation, human rights, and workplace health and safety.
How it works
Similar to LEED certification for sustainable building practices, SEAM projects receive tiered designations: Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. Developers accumulate points across categories, with Platinum status requiring solutions that persist beyond ownership changes.
Shane emphasized that current social impact efforts often measure outputs rather than actual outcomes. "As more projects go through this, we will start to develop a body of research that starts to give us facts on what activities truly correlate to outcomes."
The first project
SEAM's inaugural certification covers Seattle's The Jack, an office and retail development by Urban Visions, which is tracking Platinum status in community involvement by adjusting ground-floor retail to match neighborhood preferences.
The organization also offers professional accreditation, with 16 individuals in the beta program at launch.