Two new ratings from the International WELL Building Institute—the WELL Real Estate Rating and the WELL Operations Rating—are aimed at giving building owners, operators, and asset managers a path to validate healthy building leadership in base building infrastructure and building operations, respectively.
“The two new ratings address a clear market gap between full WELL Certification, the existing WELL ratings, and the need for additional, more focused, scalable entry points for real estate companies building their health and performance roadmap,” explained Jessica Cooper, chief product officer for the International WELL Building Institute.
Full WELL certification requires coordination across multiple design, operations, and policy stakeholders, Cooper explained. Existing WELL ratings, which are already designed as easier pathways toward WELL certification, still require strategies that span multiple teams. “The two new ratings further address entry point accessibility by focusing on WELL strategies that are within the scope of specific stakeholders,” Cooper added.
What’s in the Two New WELL Ratings?
The WELL Real Estate Rating, which focuses on optimizing the base building, includes 75 strategies worth up to 133 points. Locations earn the WELL Built designation after achieving 40 or more points. Key focus areas and strategy examples include:
- Indoor Environmental Quality: air quality monitoring, ventilation, air treatment capabilities
- Asset and Community Resilience: universal design features, emergency preparedness measures
- Responsible Materials: hazardous materials remediation, product ingredient transparency
- Occupant Experience and Amenities: thermal and acoustical comfort, shared community Spaces
The WELL Operations Rating recognizes operational excellence and tenant experience across the base building. This rating includes up to 85.5 points, with a 30-point threshold for achievement, and results in the WELL Operated designation. It’s currently available to WELL Core portfolio subscribers. Focus areas and strategies include:
- Building Systems Maintenance: air quality awareness, smoke-free policies, HVAC hygiene
- IEQ Operational Excellence: thermal comfort surveys, lighting, cleaning practices, surface hygiene
- Resilience and Readiness Policies: emergency planning and health promotion initiatives
- Tenant Engagement: pre- and post-occupancy satisfaction surveys for tenants
“The new ratings are designed to work seamlessly alongside WELL Certification and existing WELL ratings because they all draw from the same set of evidence-based strategies within the WELL Building Standard,” Cooper said. “Each rating focuses on a distinct area of impact, allowing organizations to pursue them independently or stack them together for greater value.”
How to Earn the New WELL Ratings
Cooper recommended starting with a gap analysis to understand what policies and strategies are already in place and where targeted improvements can deliver the biggest impact. “Both ratings are WELL Core-focused, enabling real estate companies and/or facilities teams to concentrate on either their base building infrastructure or their building operations,” Cooper explained. “Because each rating is aligned to strategies within the control of specific teams, organizations can move forward with clarity and confidence focusing on the scope within their direct purview.”
During the pilot phase, the two new ratings are available within the WELL at scale program, which allows real estate companies to explore implementation across their portfolios and evaluate the feasibility of pursuing one or both ratings at the same time.
