The Move Toward Green Real Estate

image via The Mortgage Reel

You know a trend is becoming mainstream when certifications begin to be offered for it.

This is what’s happening in real estate, with a growing number of realtors and brokers learning what constitutes green housing and how to position themselves in an expanding market where green housing continues to sell even in slow times.

Portland Oregon’s regional multi-listing service for real estate will soon be calling out energy efficient homes due to a survey that showed that 78% of potential buyers would prefer an energy efficient home over others.

This greening of real estate buying and selling translates over a wider area than just the buyer and seller and their agents. It also encompasses the builders (LEED certification), the appraisers, the lenders and the licensing agencies. For example, real estate agents and brokers will want/need certification so that potential clients can choose them confidently and those agents and brokers will choose to work with lenders, appraisers and builders who are also certified and knowledgeable.

Green Housing Standards

Although green building is still done largely according to voluntary standards, the National Association of Home Builders is putting together a standard they hope will be widely accepted and adopted and the U.S. Green Building Council is putting together LEED certification standards for residential buildings.

All of this is good news to those concerned about reducing our energy footprints – in the long term there will be more green housing available and more incentives for it. But there’s another aspect of this increased interest in green housing that may not be so readily seen: while the professionals in real estate and the related fields are becoming certified and knowledgeable in the field of energy efficiency and sustainable building practices, they are more likely to talk about what they’ve learned with other professionals and clients. So that even those who previously did not have an interest in or knowledge of these practices and trends, will find themselves becoming more aware of them. The adoption of greener standards and more widespread understanding of them may fuel additional growth and understanding. With luck, there will soon come a time when green is the standard for building and renovating. And that will be a real estate move that will benefit more than just the real estate profession.

Home For the Holidays

While we’re on the subject of home, let’s not forget to make the holidays greener by thinking about the environment when purchasing gifts or when travelling. Some won’t be able to avoid flying home, but if you can, you should, since jet travel is extremely polluting and uses up an enormous amount of fossil fuel. And all of those drives to the mall, to visit family and friends while you’re home; those holiday events, parties and other outings can be made greener if you share them using social ridesharing with ZoomPool.

Share your holiday plans with us on Facebook or Twitter. Letting others know about events and gatherings they may not be aware of can increase your chances of finding a compatible rideshare partner!

Zoom green Zoom together ZoomPool!
Social Ridesharing