Catering to an environmentally conscious client is an important lesson for any realtor to learn. While this may not have been a consideration that was popular in years past, many of today’s homebuyers are looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact, starting at home. Consider these important real estate factors to better cater to your client’s needs to stay current and get a leg up on your competition.
Focus on Energy Efficiency
Many eco-friendly homes offer alternatives to the traditional gas, electric and oil energy sources. Consider doing your research into energy alternatives, such as a home solar system panels that can provide another source of energy that is far less harmful to the earth. By showing your buyers sustainable energy sources and ways that they can save the environment, they will know that you support their interests and efforts.
Evaluate the Insulation
An area that many buyers may not be aware of is the insulation within a home. Not only does insulation affect the cost of utility bills, but it can also pump additional heating and cooling into a home because it is leaking out. Without proper insulation, you may be using excessive amounts of energy to achieve a reasonable temperature and thereby hurt the environment. Make sure that you can offer your insights and information into proper insulation and offer your client useful information to support their green living.
Look Into the Building Materials
For homes that have already been lived in, your client will not have any flexibility on what products were used during the building phase. This means that you need to do a little digging into the home’s history, including understanding if recycled materials were used in the home or if Volatile Organic Compounds were used in the home. These materials can have a significant impact on the home’s impact on the environment and maybe something your client wants to be informed of.
Assess Old Utility Bills
A place where you can get many of your questions answered lies within old utility bills. Consider asking the previous tenant if your customer can review old utility bills from the property. These records can shed a clear light on the use of energy throughout the household. If the homeowner indicates that the house was maintained sustainably and built with eco-friendly practices in mind, but the utility bills say otherwise, this may be a time to take your buyer to another property. This information can be critical in your client’s decision and their comfort level in moving forward with a purchase.
Sell and Start Over
As a realtor, you may be fully aware of a lack of environmentally friendly real estate in your client’s desired communities. It is important to understand that your customer can always demolish the property and build a more eco-friendly residence. While this can be cost-prohibitive for many clients, this can be an option for some. By taking the time to invest in greener solutions in a home, like recycled materials, proper disposal and recycling, VOC free materials, alternative energy sources and energy efficiency in mind, your buyer may find their perfect place in starting fresh.
Educate Yourself
As you take on a client who has environmentally friendly practices in mind, you must take the time to educate yourself. Not only does the real estate market and its trends shift over time, but green initiatives and applicable standards are updated and can change. A trend in both of these fields is that Millennials are looking for more sustainable existence, so as this generation continues to grow in the home buying market, you will need to do your research. Keep in mind, as the liaison and resource for properties, it is your job to stay current.
Searching for more environmentally conscious properties can be a challenge for any realtor, as these can be difficult parameters; however, there are many ways for you to be mindful of this need. Keep in mind that the home can be impacted by materials to its current energy source, and by being mindful of these influential components, you can be sure to cater to more eco-friendly clients.
