Real estate agents would do well to talk up the green features in their home listings, letting clients know how much they can reduce energy usage inside the home. According to the National Association of REALTOR’s latest Realtors and Sustainability report, more than half of agents say consumers are showing a greater interest in such features.
In order to highlight these features, most Multiple Listings Services have added a specific data entry field for agents to list a property’s green features.
REALTORS indicated they see great value in promoting energy efficiency in their listings, with seven out of ten saying they feel strongly that it helps to promote a home to clients.
Some of the most important green features, which REALTORS said are “very” or “somewhat” important include: A home’s efficient use of lighting; a smart/connected home; green community features, such as bike lanes and green spaces; landscaping for water conservation; and renewable energy systems, such as solar and geothermal.
Some 80 percent of REALTORS surveyed said solar panels are currently available in their market, and 42 percent said they believed the technology increases the perceived value of a property.
The survey also found more realtors are dealing with green homes than before. Some 27 percent of REALTORS say they’ve had one to five “green” properties on their books in the past year.
What that means is there’s a “great deal of room for future growth”, the NAR said.
“As consumers’ interest in sustainability grows, REALTORS understand the necessity of promoting sustainability in their real estate practice, such as marketing energy efficiency in property listings to homebuyers,” said NAR President William E. Brown, in a statement. “The goal of the NAR Sustainability Program is to provide leadership and strategies on topics of sustainability to benefit members, consumers and communities.”
About Mike Wheatley
