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REALTOR®: Silicon Valley REALTORS® Encourage Green Practices

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Silicon Valley REALTORS® realize green buildings and business practices help conserve significant amounts of natural resources. As environmental concerns continue to grow among consumers, REALTORS®  are learning more about how to help buyers and sellers bring green into their homes.

REALTORS® attending last November's "Making Green Building Work for You and Your Clients" session at the 2008 National Association of REALTORS® Conference & Expo learned more about how to help buyers and sellers make their homes more environmentally friendly.

During the session, U.S. Department of Energy representative Lani MacRea explained the benefits of retrofitting existing homes with energy efficient features. "Existing residential buildings represent the single largest source of potential energy savings," she said.

Panelist Victoria Schomer, from Green Built Environments in Asheville, N.C, acknowledged the influence that the real estate industry can have on environmental issues. "We know that the building industry impacts the environment in a very major way," she said. "The goal is to support clients and their families to live more sustainable, environmentally friendly lives."

Homes and buildings have a major impact on the environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, residential and commercial buildings account for more than one-third of the nation's total energy use, 12 percent of water use, 68 percent of electricity consumption and 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.

REALTORS® who can educate consumers about green developments in real estate could find a rewarding niche, especially as energy-efficiency standards become more stringent, according to Julia Keady, 2009 president of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®.

"REALTORS® with green knowledge can be valuable resources for home buyers and sellers who are becoming more environmentally conscious," said Keady, a REALTOR®  with Alain Pinel Realtors in Palo Alto.

In February, SILVAR will be one of the first Association of REALTORS® in California offering the new National Association of REALTORS® GREEN designation course to members this year. About 230 real estate professionals took part in the national Realtor group's first class for the new GREEN designation at the 2008 REALTOR® Conference & Expo last fall. The GREEN designation course addresses the concerns of consumers seeking real green expertise. Green buyers purchase homes that cost, on average, $12,400 higher than the median home price in 2007, according to NAR's 2007 Profile of Buyers Home Features Preferences.

The GREEN designation course offered to members by SILVAR highlights what makes a property green and energy efficient, strategies for educating clients about green features, financial incentives and rebates available to homeowners.

At a time of increasing demand for green home features, Keady said REALTORS®  hope to provide their clients with answers to their environmental concerns. "As REALTORS®  we support clients and their families in their efforts to live more sustainable, environmentally friendly lives," said Keady.

The California Association of REALTORS® has launched "At home with green™," a Green Web site, focusing on C.A.R.'s new Green Initiative and providing information to homeowners, REALTORS®  and the general public on how to green their homes, offices and lives.

"Housing is often one of the leading contributors of greenhouse emissions," said William E. Brown, 2008 C.A.R. president. "It's important to raise awareness and educate members and consumers about environmentally sound practices."

"At home with green™" can be accessed by visiting http://green.car.org/.


The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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