Resources for real estate’s change agents

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.