Consumers in today’s real estate market are ready and willing to pay more for environmentally friendly, high performance features. Whether for the environmental advantages, the cost savings, or just for the sake of keeping up with trends, people are embracing green home features more than ever before.
Homes with these green features tend to be more marketable and sell for a greater market value.
With green features being so popular, competitive real estate professionals need to stay educated on both the features themselves, and ways to market them. In particular, appraisers, and listing and buying agents need to be able to judge the added home value and capitalize on the increased interest of consumers looking for green features.
If it means more sales, get educated
For real estate professionals hoping to increase their knowledge, the National Association of Realtor’s Green Designation offers training on what it means to ‘go green’ in real estate. Classes focus specifically on common green home features, and scenarios that agents are likely to face.
It might be unreasonable to expect every agent to have an in-depth understanding of green technologies, but having at least one green tech expert on your team is a huge advantage.
Until recently, agents have had to market features like closets, whirlpool tubs, school districts, building material types, and square footage. Now, they could be asked to explain the difference between geothermal heat sources! As our technology becomes more complex, it’s crucial that brokerages have a specialist on their team, and independent agents can consult an expert in their network when necessary.
MLSs are catching up, are you?
The National Association of Realtors has also created the Green MLS Implementation Guide to help multiple listing services add green features to their listings. MLSs across America are using the tool; in fact, MLSs in 79 of the country’s 100 largest cities already include green features.
This is a great start, but real estate communities will need to play a part in making their local MLSs adopt the suggestions and instructions laid out in the Green MLS Implementation Guide.
Consumers are excited by both the chance to decrease home operating costs, and help save the planet. As green home features grow in popularity, real estate professionals should be excited by the marketability and value they bring to homes.
#GreenHomes
