The Latest

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  Multi-site property management tools come to market

  Ecotrak launched a computerized maintenance management system for small businesses at $25 per month per location, while Mallcomm rebranded as Kinexio in the U.S. and launched an AI-driven platform.

  Technology

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  Company touts new generation of UVC light to kill pathogens in occupied rooms

  By using light on a shorter wavelength, the ultraviolet C bulbs can eliminate pathogens without penetrating skin and eyes, says Lit Thinking CEO John Rajchert.  

  Health & Safety

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  Big verdicts in premises liability cases put spotlight on facilities managers

  Verdicts in the tens of millions of dollars are increasingly common in cases involving organizations’ physical spaces, and the trend is likely to persist, a risk manager says.

  Health & Safety

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  NYC leads return-to-office as hybrid work increases: Trial Balance

  Placer.ai’s April 2025 Office Index shows continued recovery in office foot traffic, with New York City leading the rebound.

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  Penn State University proposes closing 7 commonwealth campuses

  To continue operating, the campuses would require $200 million investment in facilities — "resources that could be redirected to enhance and strengthen the campuses that remain," a report says. 

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  Archibus FedRAMP designation underscores new occupancy tracking focus of federal agencies

  The fast-tracked authorization of this and another workplace management tool suggests the federal government is serious about matching its real estate to its needs.  

  Updated May 20, 2025

  Technology

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  How states are thinking about organic waste policy

  Facilities could be subject to bills in dozens of state legislatures that are trying to reduce the environmental impact of food waste.  

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  ‘Rogue’ communication devices found on Chinese-made power inverters

  The issue could be important to facilities managers if they oversee on-site solar arrays or battery storage systems, with Chinese-made inverters on them, to provide energy resilience or to send supplemental power to the grid to reduce costs. 

  Technology

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  California bill would expand school districts’ cost recovery options for facility rentals

  AB 503 would restore an expanded definition of “direct costs” eligible for recovery through facility rental fees, which could help shore up district finances as public education budgets tighten.

  Operations

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  Lawmakers spar over IRA credits in budget hearings

  Members of the House are debating the Inflation Reduction Act’s costs and benefits after Republicans proposed major cuts.

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  For the big players in facilities management, a good quarter

  Despite tariff uncertainty and recent reorganizations, the four largest U.S. commercial real estate brokerages — CBRE, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield and Colliers — reported strong growth in the first quarter. 

  Corporate/Finance

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  HqO launches platform to link building operations, tenant experience and financial outcomes

  The platform aims to unify disconnected data and processes and provide a system of record for tenant experience that can help inform asset value and decision-making.

  Technology

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  IFMA adds its name to Energy Star fight

  Facility managers rely on the program for making informed decisions about commercial appliances and building systems, the group says.

  Sustainability

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  World FM Day puts renewed focus on talent

  Finding skilled labor is a struggle for many facilities managers, but training workers on the newest tools can help to boost morale and meet operational goals, experts say.

  Technology

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  House GOP proposes early phaseout of IRA clean energy tax credits

  The House Ways and Means Committee’s draft budget scales back the technology-neutral clean energy investment and production tax credits while leaving carbon capture credits largely intact.

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  LEED v5 – now released – increases focus on indoor environment, worker safety

  The new version streamlines decarbonization targets and accounts for indoor air quality, continuous monitoring and maintenance staff safety, USGBC’s director of existing buildings says.

  Compliance

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  Federal agencies told to start tracking building occupancy

  An Office of Management and Budget memo accelerates and expands a process that the Biden administration began to require at least 60% occupancy of federal buildings.

  Compliance

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  Q&A

  CBRE: Think of your smart building data as jet fuel

  Artificial intelligence can be a game changer by making building operations a value-added part of an organization, but facilities managers must be unyielding in the quality of their data, says Tim Schipper, CBRE’s EVP of global operations. 

  Operations

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  Building obsolescence risks can help guide renovation planning: JLL

  Deep retrofits of central business district office assets can generate well over $3,500 per square meter while saving upwards of 60% on energy costs, the company says.

  Development

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  Trump rolls back Biden-era efficiency rules

  The standards covered tankless natural gas water heaters and commercial refrigeration equipment. A fourth resolution nixed certification requirements for a range of products.

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  JLL sees successful Q1 for new real estate management services segment

  The company benefited from growth in its workplace and project management businesses, along with a broader recovery in the office sector, but it won’t predict future market conditions. 

  Corporate/Finance

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  Tariff impacts are manageable, Johnson Controls says

  The building solutions company is also confident it can manage increased competition in the data center cooling market, executives said in an earnings call this week.

  Corporate/Finance

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  US, UK agree on framework for tariff, market access deal

  Although not yet legally binding, the proposed agreement outlines the potential makeup of the Trump administration’s first trade pact since unveiling its reciprocal tariff plan in April.

  Updated May 9, 2025

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  Colliers’ engineering segment booms, but tariffs postpone long-term leasing decisions

  Talk about tariffs on services raises an additional concern for the company, although its decentralized structure could help it avoid higher costs, executives said. 

  Corporate/Finance

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  Opinion

  To save money, building owners should treat energy standards as a floor, not a ceiling

  Projects to make their facilities more efficient are an opportunity for owners to use sustainability goals to drive long-term business value.

  Sustainability

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