| |
 |
| |
|
20 Leading Green Execs |
 |
|
Resources for real estate’s change agents by Chris Bartle - 5.6.08
The residential real estate industry is “going green” in California and in many parts of the country. According to a recent national McGraw-Hill “Green Residential Smart Market Report,” the total green building marketplace will be valued at $60 billion by 2010, excluding remodeling. Furthermore, two-thirds of homeowners are aware of green building and 40 percent of residential remodels nationwide are currently done using green materials and practices. With more and more homes incorporating green features, real estate agents have to be able to sell those green features and can also play a key role in accelerating the greening of homes.
Real estate agents have the unique opportunity to influence the “greening” of our homes. They influence the spending of huge sums of money every year in real estate transactions, not only in the preparation and sale of property, but in remodeling decisions, financing decisions, furnishing and decorating decisions, etc.
Real estate agents help their clients make environmentally responsible purchasing decisions by connecting them with “green” service providers and products and sharing their understanding of the benefits of green homes. Green real estate agents are also able to help their clients envision how non-green homes may be made healthier or more efficient.
In order to play that important role, real estate agents need to be trained in green building and remodeling. Several organizations around the country have emerged to accomplish just that.
EcoBroker
EcoBroker, based in Colorado, was the first to recognize the importance of realtors’ role in understanding green features in homes. The company developed a national online education program to teach real estate agents about green building and how to sell the features of green homes. From indoor air quality to energy efficiency, EcoBroker’s curriculum and self-paced online courses present case studies, online resources, and clever instructor feedback and interaction that result in a very effective learning experience.
Certified EcoBrokers then become part of a national network of like-minded agents and brokers who are able to exchange referrals and share information to help build each other’s businesses.
Build It Green’s Real Estate Council
Build It Green is a nonprofit organization dedicated to proliferating residential green building and remodeling in California. The organization developed California’s leading home rating system, GreenPoint Rated, and it plans to have 10,000 GreenPoint Rated homes by the end of 2008. It also runs a Certified Green Building Professional training program for anyone—including real estate agents—who wants to learn about green building and remodeling. The classes are typically sold out well in advance and are attended by more than 100 people, including architects, builders, city planners, building inspectors and other building professionals. So, the learning that occurs is not only from the instructors, but also from the dialogue and discussions among the attendees.
Build It Green also formed a Real Estate Council three years ago. This group gets together quarterly for educational and networking meetings. Real estate agents, mortgage brokers and appraisers attend these regularly. The Real Estate Council also has a subcommittee focused on getting GreenPoint Ratings into California’s multiple listing service (MLS), the database that lists homes for sale. So far, very few state MLSes have any “green” attributes listed in their databases, making it very difficult for real estate agents and appraisers to get good, comparable sales data for existing homes that have been remodeled “green.” With GreenPoint Ratings in the MLS, sales data will become more readily available.
California Association of Realtors’ Green Task Force
In January, the California Association of Realtors (CAR) formed a Green Task Force. The three-pronged mission of the Green Task Force is to encourage the greening of CAR business practices, raise awareness and educate members and consumers about environmentally sound practices, and encourage CAR to form strategic alliances in support of environmentally sound practices. They will be rolling out many green initiatives in the coming months.
The task force is also currently working with the California Building Industry Association, Build It Green, and other stakeholders to identify ways to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of existing homes to help satisfy the requirements set forth in state assembly bill AB32 to fight global warming [see “California gives legs to AB32,” SI, December 2007]. This is an exciting collaboration of industries that will undoubtedly lead to more resource-efficient homes in California.
What’s next in green real estate?
As more green homes are created and demand continues to rise for homes that are energy and water efficient and non-toxic, we will see building codes change to include green requirements; we will see the market value green homes more than their toxic and energy inefficient counterparts; and green real estate will become the norm.
Of course, people don’t move and remodel very often, so the rate at which that evolution happens will be slow, and we’ll have to deal with the repercussions of decades of inefficient homes for years to come. But real estate agents can expedite the process by ensuring that homes that do sell are made as “green” as possible, either by the seller to help the sale of the home, or by the buyer who will enjoy the benefits of the upgrades.
Chris Bartle is the founder and President of Green Key Real Estate. He is a board member of Build It Green, a member of the CAR Green Task Force, an EcoBroker and a Certified Green Building Professional. He can be reached at Chris (at)Greenkeyrealestate.com.
Like this article? Subscribe to Sustainable Industries magazine.
© Sustainable Media Inc.. All rights reserved. Permission is required for reproduction in whole or in part. For high-quality reprints of articles, contact FosteReprints at 866-879-9144 or via email: sales@FosteReprints.com
|
|
|
|
