BOMA International recently gave its John Hancock to become a member of the International Property Management Standards Coalition, joining orgs like the Appraisal Institute and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors tofocus on developing a standard for the way buildings are measured globally. The quite dapper coalition is above. Currently, the way assets are measured--from office buildings to shopping centers--varies greatly from country to country, making it difficult for global investors and tenants to compare space. (Square foot, square meter, or holding your hands about "this much" apart. They all have merit.) The benefits, according to BOMA: a more transparent marketplace, greater public trust, stronger investor confidence, and increased market stability. Who doesn't like that?

Chris Baird contributed to this issue.

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