Data as a Service – ESG data collection as competitive advantage

Data as a service - Experts in ESG Data Collection

Many companies shy away from it: ESG data collection and reporting in the real estate sector. The process can be extremely time-consuming, especially in Germany, where tenant consumption data must be gathered for multiple utilities – water, waste, electricity, heating, and cooling. At agradblue, however, we embrace the challenge. We are the go-to partner for numerous real estate companies, managing ESG data collection for their sub-portfolios and vehicles such as Article 8 and Article 9 funds.
Our expertise extends beyond Germany to other EU countries and the UK. “Clients want to save time and avoid German-specific hurdles such as data protection constraints and limited digitalization when expanding their portfolios abroad,” explains agradblue expert Theresa Kilian. “Interestingly, the same companies that rely on us in Germany rarely need assistance with ESG data collection or reporting in their home markets, where digital systems have long made these processes seamless.”

Communication with tenants - Managing the time factor

How does agradblue approach ESG data collection? “We minimize the workload for property owners and asset managers by sourcing as much data as possible externally,” says Kilian. “This includes retrieving information directly from network operators as well as from tenants.”
However, tenant engagement often presents a challenge. “In practice, there is considerable hesitation – even resistance – from tenants when it comes to sharing data,” Kilian notes. “This is one of the reasons why ‘green leases’ have struggled to gain traction in the industry. Many users prefer not to reveal their energy consumption patterns.” Yet, the goal extends far beyond optimizing property performance – it’s ultimately about contributing to environmental protection.

Filling gaps and ensuring data quality

“And where data gaps exist, we extrapolate and verify the plausibility of the results,” Kilian explains. “We’ve been collecting ESG data for around 20,000 square meters annually since the early days of this field, building a strong foundation of comparative benchmarks.”
Experience and methodological expertise play a key role when working with incomplete data. “Our long-standing database allows us to perform reliable plausibility checks across all asset classes – logistics, office, residential, retail, and more,” she continues. “As a group, we have supported ESG and operating cost optimization for over 60,000 properties.”
Even companies that conduct their own data collection often turn to agradblue for quality assurance and methodological validation. “We handle that too,” Kilian emphasizes. “It’s all part of our modular ‘Data as a Service’ offering.”