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Any green REALTORS out there?
We’re working on a story for the next issue of Commonwealth about buyers looking for “greener” homes. Not just houses where the bulbs have been replaced by those compact fluorescents, but buildings that have significant green features.
Can you help? We need to interview some folks (we’re talking 10-15 minutes) to get answers to questions like these:
- Whether or not buyers ask about green features in a building, do you do your research and point them out?
- What kinds of green features are you seeing, and how has that changed in the last few years?
- Are there any specific green things that buyers mention appeal to them — low-flush toilets, tankless water heaters, EnergyStar appliances, something else?
- Have you ever advised a seller to market the green angle of his or her property? (E.g., “We should mention the R-5 insulation in the attic.”)
If you can help, we’ll make you famous — well, famous among Commonwealth readers, anyway.
Just drop a note to andrew[Shft-2]varealtor.com or give a call to 804-262-3755 if you can chat.
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I’ve got my eco-Broker certification so this is certainly something I’m focused on. Buyers are, for the most part, not asking yet. And, when I listed a house a year ago with a solar roof that meant no utility bills much of the year, it wasn’t a big draw. I think there’s still some fear of the technology. There’s a concern that it’s not common enough to be easy to understand, maintain, get repaired, etc.
Our MLS just this year added the ability to show that there are EnergyStar appliances in a home. And, I do ask sellers about that. Sellers often give me a blank look, however.
What I am seeing is an increasing interest by buyers in knowing what the utility bills are before they buy a home. So, there is an advantage to making your home energy efficient. But the buyers are focused on the end result, not in how we’re getting there.
This is bound to continue to grow in importance. I know personally, any update we make to our home we consider how we can make it more energy efficient, more green.
Hope that helps!
Julie
Hi, Ben! Saw your post - you might find the Field Guide to Green Homes and Mortages helpful. This is a one-stop reference provided by Information Central. It is located in the Virtual Library at http://www.realtor.org
Talk to this realtor–she specialize in green real estate and is a fellow blogger:
http://metrodchomes.typepad.com/urbantrekker/
Dewita: dewitahs at gmail
I have an all “green” Earthcraft certified subdivision that my husband and I developed in Frederick County, Virginia, what an interesting education and fulfilling project to develop. Our model home was in the Local Parade of Homes sponsored by Top of Virginia Homebuilders Assoc. and won Best in Show, State Presidents Award and a number of other things. Please call me if interested.