Interview with a Green Real Estate Agent

Lara Williams is a green real estate agent in Fort Collins, Colo. She works for The Green Team real estate company, and she is an expert in sustainability practices in homes. The following is an interview with Williams conducted over e-mail in July 2009.

What is a green real estate agent?

A green real estate agent is one who has a strong knowledge base in sustainable home design, green building materials, water and energy conservation strategies, home health and safety issues, and home comfort. Some may specialize within this really broad title to focus more specifically, such as new homes, or remodeled existing homes, or selling greener homes, or any number of other areas. I believe a green agent should be knowledgeable of the local green home market, and strategies for more sustainable living in general.

Why should home buyers use a green real estate agent?

I find that the average home buyer has huge gains to be made by starting small, and building on their sustainability knowledge and activities, to improve the energy efficiency, water efficiency, health and safety, and use of more sustainable materials in their homes. If a buyer can't afford his or her green "dream home", by working with a real estate agent that has sustainability education and cares about how the home their client buys performs going forward, the buyer can tap into this knowledge before the purchase.

For example, the green real estate agent should be able to point out to buyers things that might need to be done after they purchase a particular home, such as new, more efficient windows, or direct their attention to positive aspects of a house, such a new, high efficiency furnace, or Energy Star appliances. In addition, if questions come up regarding sustainability concerns, the green agent is much better positioned to find answers. They likely have a strong network of green professionals they can tap into.

For sellers, if you are living in a home in which you have made improvements, however small, it's important to make sure that buyers not only know about them, but also know why they matter. A green agent can help market these effectively to a public that is increasing aware and concerned. And, there may be some things a seller can do to improve their home before they put it on the market that will make it more sustainable.

It's this higher level of knowledge that not all agents have, which buyers and sellers are able to take use to their advantage.

What should people look for in a green real estate agent?

Just as in all businesses today, there is a possibility for "greenwashing" to happen in the real estate industry, whereby someone advertises that they are a "green agent" simply because they have taken a course or obtained a designation, and believe it will help the agent's business. As more agents obtain green designations and certifications, I would suggest that in order to obtain the full benefit of a real estate agent who has education and training in this area, you will want to interview prospects about how much "green" is a part of their day-to-day business and life.

Do they belong to local organizations that support and promote sustainability? Do they work with or have relationships with local builders that build more sustainable homes? Do they run a more sustainable office or work in one? How "green" is their own home? How much hands-on experience do they actually have with the kind of materials and technologies they are promoting? Have they updated their home to be more energy efficient? What can they tell you about any local green building programs, or energy efficiency/water efficiency incentives? Do they have a network of energy professionals and contractors they could recommend if you wanted to make improvements to your home? More than ever, you really need to suss out which agents are the "real deal."

What does the eco-broker certification mean?

EcoBroker is an independent organization that runs a high-quality sustainability education program for real estate agents. The training takes at least 18 hours and trains agents in how the house performs as a system, with an emphasis on training in energy conservation strategies, as well as a health and comfort concerns such as indoor air and water quality, water conservation, mold and radon. It also spends time training agents on marketing sustainability features in homes to the home buying public.

I can't afford solar panels or a back-yard wind turbine. Would I still benefit from a green real estate agent?

I actually think if you can't afford a wind turbine or a solar photovoltaic system, you'd probably benefit more from enlisting a green real estate agent. By the time someone has decided to make a financial commitment to install solar or wind power, they have usually done a lot of research and likely have a large pool of knowledge, and probably already are doing a lot on their own toward a more sustainable home.

It's often the smaller things that can make a big difference, and your green agent should be able to help anyone get started in that direction. For example, the green real estate agent should be able to help the buyer to compare and contrast different purchase options, pointing out which homes are likely to already be more energy efficient, and which are likely to require larger investments in the future.

Often green real estate agents will recommend a buyer has an energy audit done after purchase. It's a relatively small investment and can reveal a large number of things a homeowner can do to improve their energy efficiency and comfort, often for relatively small cash outlays. The audit helps homeowners to prioritize improvements, from least to most expensive. It may be as simple as caulking cracks and adding insulation.

Everyone's sustainability concerns are different. They green agent should be able to work with you to identify you greatest concerns and find you the house that most closely matches them.

I think to sum it up, a green real estate agent has a keen awareness of sustainability concerns. They provide an added resource for you in your home buying or selling process. They can get you started on the road to a more sustainable home if you have very little knowledge, or help you move along the curve by introducing you to new options and the professionals who can get you there.