Our industry has been working on evolving information standards for more than 15 years. Our success matters to the industry simply because the Real Estate Information Standards (REIS) foster transparent, consistent and complete reporting of financial and operating information relevant to investors.

REIS benefits the industry in a number of ways, including:

•         Facilitating comparative analysis, price discovery and performance measurement;

•         Facilitating a credible and sustainable institutional real estate market;

•         Assisting managers by creating reporting efficiencies for multiple clients.

Since becoming chair of the REIS board in July 2010, I have had the opportunity to speak with many industry participants about REIS, the need for standards and what the “next generation” of standards might emphasize. These conversations hav