Consumer demand toward green and sustainable home features is rising nationwide. According to the National Association of Realtors' "REALTORS® and Sustainability 2018" report, which surveys Realtors about sustainability issues and the preferences they are seeing among consumers, 61 percent of Realtors reported consumers in their communities are becoming interested in sustainability.
"Consumers continue to make it clear that environmentally friendly features and neighborhoods are an important factor in deciding where and what home to buy," said NAR President Elizabeth Mendenhall. "Realtors are leaders in the conversation about real estate sustainability, energy conservation and resource efficiency, and will continue to promote environmentally conscious strategies and best practices that benefit not just our clients, but also our communities."
Seventy-one percent of agents and brokers reported that promoting energy efficiency in listings is either somewhat or very valuable. When asked what they consider the top considerations regarding sustainability, agents and brokers listed understanding lending options for energy upgrades or solar panels (36 percent), improving the energy efficiency of existing housing stock (34 percent) and the lack of information and materials provided to real estate professionals (30 percent).
Among those whose multiple listing service have green data fields, 37 percent of respondents said they use them to promote green features, 27 percent to promote energy information, and 16 percent to promote green certifications. Majority of respondents (80 percent) said solar panels are available in their market, and 39 percent said solar panels increased the perceived property value. Transportation and commuting features that are very or somewhat important to their clients include easy access to highways (82 percent), short commute times and distance to work (81 percent) and walkability (51 percent).
Among agents and brokers dealing with commercial real estate, 71 percent indicated promoting energy efficiency in their commercial listings was very or somewhat valuable. Top building features clients specified as very or somewhat important are utility/operation costs (80 percent), efficient use of lighting (64 percent) and indoor air quality (62 percent).
"California has been on the cutting edge of environmental innovation, leading in the adoption of green technology and eco-friendly features in homes and buildings. Our susceptibility to drought conditions has spurred homeowners to expand sustainability to their lawns. Even Napa wineries are going green," said Bill Moody, president of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors.
Moody said in its analysis of top 200 U.S. metro areas with eco-friendly features, realtor.com, the official site of the National Association of Realtors, found prospective homebuyers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. metro area have the highest likelihood of finding a home with integrated "green" features. The metro area ranked third with the highest percentage of active listings (35 percent) featuring at least one "green" amenity in April 2018, behind Fort Collins, Colo. and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas. The area also ranked first on the list of top 10 markets with the highest concentration of listings (6.1 percent) featuring solar panels, followed by Salinas, Calif. (4.8 percent).
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.
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