BOMA Knowledge Center

Welcome to the BOMA Knowledge Center, a searchable repository of all content created by BOMA International. This expansive resource library houses hundreds of articles, research reports, policy briefs, videos and more, all conveniently located in a single online platform. Use the categories listed below to filter content by topic, search specific keywords in the search bar above or keep scrolling to browse our most popular content.

What's Trending: Top Articles, Resources and Videos

Office Sector

America Gets Back to the Office—With Greater Expectations

June 10, 2021 | By John Salustri

Results from the second in a series of studies commissioned by BOMA International, underwritten by Yardi and developed by Brightline Strategies, have just been released, revealing an ongoing confidence in management and ownership’s handling of the pandemic. But it also tracks an evolution in what tenants expect from building personnel in order to prevent such a disruption from impacting vital business operations again. And therein lie challenges and opportunities for property managers.

A Touchless Transformation?

May 20, 2021 | By Linda K. Monroe

Since the moment the COVID-19 pandemic first put the world in lockdown last year, building owners and property managers have been planning and preparing for the day tenants would return to the office and brick-and-mortar businesses would reopen. Enter: touchless technologies.

The Shifting Dynamic Between Engagement and Well-Being

May 6, 2021 | By John Salustri

Occupant engagement and well-being used to be closely connected, but like many other aspects of commercial real estate, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed that. Gallup research reveals that occupant engagement rose through the depths of the pandemic, while its former partner, well-being, suffered. Stress, worry and isolation began contributing to a decline in a sense of well-being early in 2020, as an estimated 40 to 60 percent of the U.S. workforce worked from home. Now, with Mental Health Awareness Month kicking off and occupant re-entry beginning in markets across the country, employers and property professionals have an opportunity to double down on their efforts to prioritize health and well-being in the workplace.

Life Sciences Real Estate Sees Hot Demand

March 31, 2021 | By Patricia Kirk

Mapping of the human genome and subsequent advances in biotechnology, along a push to cure costly diseases, have driven hot demand for life science real estate for more than a decade. But the push for COVID-19 vaccine development and medications to treat victims of the pandemic has heated up this real estate sector even more, boosting public and private funding for biomedical research and increasing research activity and demand for lab space.

BOMA International Deep Dives

February 28, 2021 | By BOMA International

Fasten your snorkel and get ready for an in-depth exploration of the latest trends and issues important to today’s commercial real estate industry. BOMA International is pleased to announce the launch of its all-new BOMA Deep Dive series, aimed at providing property professionals with an unparalleled, comprehensive perspective on today’s priority topics. Available exclusively to BOMA members, BOMA Deep Dives offer the expert insights and context you need to navigate the ever-evolving commercial real estate landscape. Consider this your personal invitation to go beyond the surface and discover answers to questions you didn’t even know you had. We’re going where the nitty-gritty meets the heart of the matter and then some. That’s a BOMA Deep Dive.

A Long Way to Go

January 8, 2021 | By Wendy Mann, CAE

CREW Network’s latest benchmark study finds diversity, equity and inclusion progress stalled.

Technology Can Build Tenant Confidence

December 8, 2020 | By Liz Wolf

People are slowly returning to their offices. Property managers can ease the transition by choosing the right technology tools to ensure tenant safety, comfort and confidence.

Stormy Waters, Steady Ship: Leadership in Times of Crisis

October 19, 2020 | By John Salustri

All times of challenge—no matter their nature—come with two basic leadership truths. First, they demand all hands on deck. Whether the crisis is regional, such as hurricanes or wildfires, or global, such as a pandemic, everyone on the property management team has to row together. And therein lies the second truth about leadership. You can’t row together without a qualified team. Leadership in times of calm or chaos is as much about those being led as the ability of the leader to inspire.

How Healthy Buildings Can Help in the Fight Against COVID-19

September 2, 2020 | By Liz Wolf

By utilizing information about how the coronavirus is transmitted, property professionals can anticipate occupant needs and identify new operational best practices. Learn how these best practices can help building owners and property professionals reduce the risk of COVID-19 and ease tenants’ anxiety about returning to the workplace.

Seven Tips for Well-Kept Floors

May 20, 2021 | By Susan Scapparone

Floors are the heart and soul of every building, and they’re one of the first things a visitor will notice when they walk through the door. A well-kept floor in your building can immediately signal to your occupants that the building is clean and maintained with care, a message that is now more essential than ever.

Get to Know BOMA’s 2021 Rising Stars!

May 6, 2021 | By Caroline Pomilla

For the fourth year in a row, BOMA International asked its members to nominate the “rising stars” of commercial real estate. Whether they’re mentoring other emerging professionals, stepping up to support their companies during the pandemic or striving to make professional development opportunities more widely available, the three BOMA members featured this year continually demonstrate that they have what it takes to shape the future of the industry.

Frequently Asked Questions: COVID-19 Vaccines and Mitigation Measures

March 18, 2021 | By Karli Lubin, Esq.

Since the start of the pandemic, landlords and property managers have been working with tenants to create a safe and healthy environment for building occupants. As more and more people have access to the vaccine, more employees are returning to office buildings. While COVID-19 vaccines are encouraging for employers currently struggling to balance worker safety with a desire to return to the workplace, their slow rollout has prompted a number of complex concerns. Below are some of the most pressing questions landlords, property managers and tenants face on how to handle vaccinations in the workplace.

Healthy Buildings in the Age of COVID-19

February 17, 2021 | By John Salustri

If you think a healthy environment is defined in this age of COVID-19 as plexiglass dividers and hand sanitizers, your assumptions fall short of the mark. An overarching health and safety protocol transcends the accumulation of product to encompass a holistic approach to both mind and body—and not just before a vaccine is widely available, but well beyond.

Survey Says: The Office Remains a Driver of Business Success

December 17, 2020 | By John Salustri

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the death of the office has been greatly exaggerated. New research confirms that, despite the havoc wreaked this year on the sector by the pandemic, the office remains a key ingredient of business success, and the role of property managers remains critical.

Just Released: BOMA International COVID-19 Impact Study

December 1, 2020 | By BOMA International

While COVID-19 continues to be a disruptive force for the office sector and its tenants, the perceived value of the office as a key ingredient of business success remains strong. That is one of the major takeaways of the BOMA International COVID-19 Commercial Real Estate Impact Study, a groundbreaking study of more than 3,000 U.S. commercial office space decision-makers commissioned by BOMA International, underwritten by global real estate software company Yardi and developed by Brightline Strategies, a leading real estate research and advisory services firm. The study provides a clear indication of the pandemic’s broader transformational effects on commercial real estate and how tenant attitudes towards the in-person work environment have shifted.

Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center: Thriving With BOMA 360

October 30, 2020 | By Caroline Pomilla

Stretching across nearly five acres on the Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) campus in Dallas is the Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center—the largest outpatient cancer center in North Texas. Owned and managed by Physicians Realty Trust, the nearly half-a-million-square-foot property has an even larger reputation for exceeding occupant expectations.

Manage Your Time and Be Happier for It

October 1, 2020 | By Murray S. Greene, BOMA Fellow, CPM, RPA, SMA

From understanding how the systems in a building work to financial know-how to legal knowledge to tenant relations and more, commercial property managers must be exceptionally well-rounded. Having these skills is one thing; making sure they are actually used effectively is another.

First Insurance Center: Putting Industry Best Practices First

May 5, 2021 | By Caroline Pomilla

Situated near downtown Honolulu, the 204,063-square-foot Class A property boasts a newly renovated lobby, a mix of corporate and medical tenants and convenient access to retail, restaurants, the Honolulu Museum of Art, Straub Hospital and a public park. Adding to the property’s key features is a shiny new BOMA 360 designation that reminds its tenants and visitors that First Insurance Center has been evaluated and recognized for its industry-leading building management practices.

Returning to Place: The Built Environment and the Human Experience Mandate

April 29, 2021 | By Will Craig

Prior to 2020, technology had already afforded us the convenience of ordering coffee, booking meetings and conducting business and personal relationships online. However, it wasn’t until the pandemic that many people began to appreciate the inimitable experiences, spontaneity and connections that the built environment provides—like the energy of a bustling city during the morning commute or the thought-provoking mural you pass in the lobby on your way to lunch—both of which cannot be adopted into a virtual format.

Is the Office the Great Equalizer?

March 17, 2021 | By Liz Wolf

As a result of the pandemic, many have been thrown into a year-long, work-from-home experiment. What quickly became clear is that not all home work setups are created equal, and while working from home may be going smoothly for those with dedicated workspaces, gigabit Internet and ergonomic office furniture, others struggle working at kitchen tables with spotty Wi-Fi and distracting roommates. These circumstances have led many to recognize the equalizing role of the in-person office, where workers have equal access to the tools—and relationships—they need to succeed.

Schaumburg Corporate Center: Where Tenants Connect

January 15, 2021 | By Caroline Pomilla

How do you make a one million-square-foot property feel like home? Just ask the Glenstar property management team at Schaumburg Corporate Center; they leverage the principles of the BOMA 360 Performance Program to make the office complex feel like home—even in the age of social distancing.

Flex Spaces Take a Lead Position in the Post-COVID Normal

December 17, 2020 | By Ben Munn

30 percent of all office space will be flexible by 2030—and large corporate occupiers wil lbe driving much of the demand.

Getting Back to Work 2.0

October 23, 2020

Earlier this year, BOMA International assembled a task force to publish a guidance document that would help commercial building professionals prepare for occupant re-entry amid COVID-19. Due to the evolving nature of the pandemic and its continued impact on the commercial real estate industry, the task force reassembled this fall to re-examine the original guidance and develop updated operational and safety recommendations. Getting Back to Work 2.0: Building Re-Entry Best Practices in a COVID-19 Reality replaces the original guidance document released in May and is a framework for developing, updating and executing individual property or portfolio plans and responding to increasing expectations for buildings and workplaces. All sections of the original document have been significantly edited and updated to include new information and suggested best practices for consideration.

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Professional Development

Millennials Have Major Issues—Generalizations Are the First of Them

November 13, 2019 | By Caroline Pomilla

Millennials have been the subject of articles and water cooler conversations for years. But, are millennials—and now Gen Zers—really that different from the generations of workers that preceded them? Discover the challenges and opportunities the “next” generation of property professionals is experiencing.