On today’s episode, I sit down with Molly Bordonaro, Owner & Managing Partner at Green Cities Company, and discuss what it means to build a truly environmentally-friendly building; The markets Green Cities Company is most interested in and why; and How COVID changed what renters care about.

At Green Cities, Molly oversees investment management, investor relations, and asset management at The Green Cities Company.

The Green Cities Company acquires, manages, and develops multifamily, commercial, and mixed-use assets. Their mission is to cultivate competitive returns utilizing deep investment and asset management experience, combined with meaningful attention to ESG considerations, in select U.S. markets.

Molly Bordonaro, Managing Partner, With more than 20 years of commercial real estate experience including transactions, financing, management, leasing, and operations, she also serves on the firm’s Investment Committee.

In 2009, Molly joined The Green Cities Company to help build out the firm’s investment management practice. In 2011, Molly became a partner of the firm. Previously, Molly was a principal at The Gallatin Group and a co-founding director of an investment fund specializing in the financing of real estate development in low and moderate-income areas. From 2005 to 2009, she served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Malta, becoming the first American diplomat to receive Malta’s highest medal of honor. Prior to that, she was a commercial broker with NAI Norris, Beggs, and Simpson.

Links:

Molly on LinkedIn

The Green Cities Company

GRESB

LEED Certification

Fitwel ESG Solutions

Get in touch with Juniper Square

Access to the video version of this podcast

Provide feedback for the podcast

Connect with Brandon Sedloff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ 

Topics:

(1:20) - Molly’s career background

(6:30) - Green Cities’ Funds & Capitalization

(9:58) - Why or how did ESG become so interconnected to your organization?

(13:53) - What would you say to GP’s or Investment Managers that would argue ESG is politically motivated and unnecessary?

(16:29) - How do you comply and adhere to existing ESG standards and how do you see those evolving over time?

(18:34) - How do you think about the Social and Governance aspects of ESG?

(20:58) - How do you think about Investor Communication and how have your investor’s needs changed?

(24:09) - What did your Investor Communications look like before this growth of technology?

(25:46) - What’s your view of the current market?

(29:41) - Can you walk us through your latest deal?

(35:26) - Have you seen any changes in the velocity of leasing or demand in your assets given the market conditions?

(37:18) - How would you describe the typical renter profile?

(39:45) - Has the WFH growth affected the amenities in Multifamily?