Green your
marketing with eco features
By
Alyson McNutt English
Since green homes
are selling faster and commanding higher prices than other properties
in many markets, more real estate professionals are seeing the value
of green.
For example, Solaire,
a green residential high-rise in
New York , commands rents 10 percent to 15 percent higher than market
rates. In
Rocklin ,
Calif. , LEED-certified homes in the Carsten Crossings development
outsold the competition 2 to 1.
So what can you
do to attract these coveted green listings and position yourself
as an expert in marketing eco-conscious homes?
1. Get
certified. Show customers you’re an expert
by earning credentials such as the National Association of REALTORS® Green
designation, the Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional program,
or EcoBroker. You’ll
learn what makes a home green and also how to educate clients on
ways they can make their homes more environmentally responsible
and energy efficient.
2. Market
yourself as green-friendly. Karen Sutherland, an
EcoBroker-certified practitioner with RE/MAX Beach Towne in
Melbourne Beach ,
Fla. , says one key to her marketing plan is greening her Web site. She provides information
on energy savings, green construction and products, and the latest
green news. “I let everyone know that I’m an EcoBroker,” she
says. “I’m also a board member for a local grassroots,
progressive organization, and I’m meeting like-minded people
there.”
3. Partner
with other professionals. Look for green-focused
builders to partner with in marketing homes. Power Realty Partners’ Jennifer
Spivey, an
Atlanta practitioner with LEED Accredited Professional and EcoBroker
certifications, says she has teamed up with a developer on a project
featuring three green homes in a densely populated area of the city. “The
green community in
Atlanta is small, but it’s very open and willing to share ideas,” she
says.
Spivey says a green
niche offers both financial and personal benefits. “People
really look to us for advice, and we have the opportunity to really
make their lives better through education,” she says.
(Reprinted from
REALTOR® Magazine Online [http://www.realtor.org/realtormag]
September 2008 with permission of the National Association of REALTORS®.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.)  |
