Why Property Developers Should Consider SmartScore

As technology, sustainability, and user experience increasingly define the success of real estate, smart buildings have moved from being a future trend to a commercial imperative. Tenants now expect seamless digital experiences, investors are demanding measurable ESG performance, and developers are seeking ways to differentiate assets in competitive markets.

At the heart of this transformation is SmartScore - the global certification developed by WiredScore to define and assess what truly makes a building digitally smart.

The Henderson, Hong Kong

What Is SmartScore?

SmartScore is the international certification that defines what a “smart building” is and how to measure it. It moves beyond marketing language and focuses on tangible performance outcomes, offering a common language for developers, owners, tenants, and investors.

The certification evaluates two key pillars:

1. User Functionality: How technology enhances the experience, wellbeing, and productivity of occupants. This includes features like frictionless access, adaptable work environments, digital tenant engagement, and personalised comfort settings.

   
   

2. Technological Foundation: The resilience, flexibility, and interoperability of the building’s underlying systems and digital infrastructure. This ensures that the building can adapt to future technologies and user needs without costly retrofits.

   
   

Since launching in 2021, SmartScore has certified over 100 buildings worldwide, representing more than 100 million square feet of space across seven countries 

In the same way that BREEAM or LEED provide clear standards for sustainability, SmartScore defines what it means for a building to be digitally intelligent.

Why SmartScore Matters for Developers

SmartScore is not just another certification badge, it’s a commercial strategy. It helps developers position their buildings competitively, optimise long-term performance, and deliver the kind of intelligent, experience-driven environments that tenants increasingly demand.

Enhancing Asset Value and Market Differentiation:

SmartScore is fast becoming a mark of quality and credibility in global real estate. A SmartScore-certified building sends a strong message to the market: this asset is technologically advanced, efficient, and future-ready.

According to Knight Frank, buildings with recognised smart or digital connectivity certifications can command 10–15% higher rents and achieve shorter vacancy periods compared to uncertified properties. 

For developers, this translates directly into enhanced commercial value and a clear point of differentiation in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Furthermore, as tenants and investors grow more sophisticated, SmartScore certification provides an independent, third-party validation that helps substantiate claims of building intelligence and innovation, building trust and confidence in your development.

Operational Efficiency and Cost Control:

By integrating digital systems that communicate in real-time, developers can create assets that are more efficient to run and easier to maintain.

SmartScore-certified buildings often leverage Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, smart sensors, and building analytics to optimise energy consumption, space utilisation, and maintenance schedules. This data-driven approach enables predictive maintenance, reduces downtime, and ensures that building systems operate at peak efficiency.

Industry insights indicate that smart technologies can reduce energy and operational costs by up to 20–30%. For developers, that means stronger long-term performance and a more attractive proposition for investors seeking stable, low-risk returns.

Crucially, SmartScore’s framework ensures that these systems are scalable and future-proof, meaning developers avoid investing in tech that becomes obsolete within a few years.

Delivering an Exceptional Occupier Experience:

In a tenant-led market, experience is everything. Modern occupiers expect buildings to support their wellbeing, productivity, and flexibility.

SmartScore’s User Functionality criteria are specifically designed to measure this. From smart access systems and mobile-based building services to personalised climate control and digital wayfinding, SmartScore focuses on how technology improves everyday user experience.

The result is a building that feels effortless, one where the technology is invisible yet deeply intuitive. Tenants who feel that their building works for them are more satisfied, more productive, and more likely to renew leases.

In a competitive leasing environment, this can significantly reduce churn, lower marketing costs, and increase long-term occupancy stability - all of which add tangible value to the asset.

Strengthening ESG Credentials and Future-Proofing Assets

SmartScore aligns closely with the growing emphasis on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance in real estate. While traditional sustainability certifications measure energy and environmental design, SmartScore focuses on the digital infrastructure that enables sustainable outcomes.

Smart building technologies provide real-time data on energy consumption, air quality, occupancy levels, and system efficiency. This transparency allows owners to monitor and manage performance more effectively, and to meet increasingly strict reporting requirements for carbon and energy performance.

As ESG reporting becomes a central component of asset valuation and investor due diligence, SmartScore-certified buildings demonstrate both environmental responsibility and technological readiness, reducing the risk of obsolescence in a fast-evolving market.

Case Study: The Henderson, Hong Kong

Henderson Land’s The Henderson in Hong Kong exemplifies the SmartScore ethos - a building where technology, experience, and performance converge.

Achieving SmartScore Platinum, the 465,000 sq ft tower integrates intelligent systems that enhance both operations and occupant wellbeing. Its Integrated Tenant Experience Analytic Platform (ITEAP) connects IoT sensors and building management systems to deliver real-time insights into air quality, energy use, and space performance.

A tenant app further personalises the user experience through mobile access and digital engagement tools.

By embedding SmartScore principles from concept to operation, The Henderson demonstrates how a clear smart building strategy can elevate asset value, optimise efficiency, and create a future-ready, data-driven environment - setting a global benchmark for intelligent development.

Conclusion

SmartScore has rapidly become the global benchmark for smart building excellence — offering developers a clear, evidence-based framework for delivering high-performing, future-proof assets.

By aligning technology, user experience, and operational intelligence, SmartScore-certified buildings outperform traditional developments in both market perception and financial return.

In a world where digital capability increasingly defines value, SmartScore is more than a certification, it’s a roadmap for building resilience, performance, and trust. For developers who want to stay ahead of the curve, now is the time to make smart thinking a core part of the development strategy.