By Geoff Williams, FrontDoor.com | Published: 4/15/2010
You're not the first person to decide that they want a green home. Realtors have noticed the clamoring among the marketplace, and they're adapting. For instance, in Boulder, Colo., there's Pedal to Properties, a real estate firm that offers the chance to bicycle from house to house and look for not just eco-friendly homes but in eco-friendly neighborhoods (like the kind where you can ride your bicycle without fear of becoming roadkill).
And while you're likely familiar with the Multiple Listing Service that Realtors often use to find leads for homebuyers, you may not know about the Green MLS (ListedGreen.com), which features energy efficient homes being sold worldwide. The public can also use the service to locate EcoBrokers, real estate agents specializing in eco-friendly houses. Some more lingo to be familiar with -- LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environment Design. If a Realtor has LEED AP after their name, it means that they're part of an accredited group of professionals who are familiar with the standards put forth by the U.S. Green Building Council. In other words, if you see LEED AP, it means the Realtor knows his or her stuff.
While EcoBrokers aren't out there in great numbers, especially in states farther away from the East and West coasts, there are more coming.
"This is definitely a growing trend among buyers," says Chobee Hoy, who owns real estate firm Chobee Hoy Associates Real Estate in Brookline, Mass. She says more sellers are revamping their homes by doing things like sealing ducts to eliminate drafts and installing energy efficient windows and doors.
Why the rush and fuss? Hoy's assessment is a good summation of where the housing market is headed: "Sellers who focus on making these improvements," says Hoy, "tend to sell their homes quicker."
Geoff Williams is a frequent contributor to FrontDoor.com. He is also the co-author of the book Living Well with Bad Credit.
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