Environmentally-friendlier Homes thanks to BC’s Green Realtors

James Rodgers and Dexter Realty are doing some very unique marketing to gain exposure to their real estate business. The environment is a big topic these days and they are pushing home buyers to improve the energy efficiency of their homes with a cash back program. I like the idea of this program as it is different and is a hot topic these days. I also really like James’ use of a press release to gain awareness for their program. Press releases are a quick and easy way to gain some great inbound links to your website.

Real Estate Agents of Change
The Environmental Side of Realty

Vancouver, British Columbia, January 9, 2006 – British Columbian homes are about to get Greener thanks to GreenerHomes.ca, a BC Real Estate Company* that is walking it’s ‘Green’ talk. As of January 1, 2007 GreenerHomes.ca Realtors will be giving their clients $500 to assess and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

With the Environment foremost on Canadian’s minds, and federal incentives for residential energy-efficiency in short supply, GreenerHomes.ca is taking the lead on making Canadian homes more environmentally responsible.

“Realtors can, should, and now are, playing a significant role in addressing the health, energy-efficiency, and environmental impact of our homes.” remarks GreenerHomes.ca Realtor James Rodgers, “We are the ones sitting down at the kitchen table exploring people’s housing needs and choices. More and more those needs require finding a home that is Green – energy efficient and therefore affordable to operate (heat or cool), healthy to live in and built with environmentally sustainable materials.”

The $500 Rodgers and his fellow Green Realtors are giving their clients will result in ongoing monthly energy and cost savings in the homes they buy and sell. As well, the GreenerHomes.ca Realtors will utilize the Energuide for Homes rating system to help their clients access thousands of dollars in various energy-related financial incentives.

“The EnerGuide for Houses rating system – a number between one and 100 for each house where 100 is extremely efficient – is a critical tool designed to reveal to homeowners the quality of hidden renovations like insulation and proper air sealing” says Paula Steele, Energy Efficiency Coordinator, City Green Solutions (www.citygreen.ca). “Clients will value a realtor who can help them compare two 1950s homes and know which one will save them energy and therefore money over the long-term.”

When asked how a handful of green realtors in a sea of 16,000+ licensed BC Realtors can make a difference Rodgers comments, “By pioneering and modeling a new, green paradigm of real estate practice we hope to inspire industry-wide changes in the way resources and property are valued. As an industry we must change as consumer values change. An increasing number of Home Buyers are looking past the stainless steel exterior of appliances and are concerned with their energy efficiency.”

“I welcome this approach from the real estate industry. If this was embraced widely, it could become common practice for people to upgrade their homes before they sell them, or as soon as they buy them,” said Guy Dauncey, President of the BC Sustainable Energy Association (www.bcsea.org). “This is a great move forward.”

Beyond the immediate financial incentives that translate into energy savings and the related reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, GreenerHomes.ca Realtors offer clients across BC a full Green Realty service. This includes being able to offer guidance and resources related to the the environmental aspects of a home, property, or community.

Green Realtor training and certification is currently being developed by the Greener Realty of BC Association (www.greenrealtors.ca) and it’s partners. The curriculum consists of six primary fields of study: Energy Efficiency; Green Building Design, Construction, Renovation, and Materials; Housing Affordability and Green Finance; Green Market Awareness and Trends; Healthy Homes including immediate environmental issues such as pollution, contamination, etc.; and Site and Community Planning (including protective covenants, etc).

Although qualified Green Realtors are currently in limited supply in Canada, the number of green-minded consumers is rapidly increasing. Generally speaking these consumers are motivated by the cost savings related to greener homes as well as the associated moral and ethical benefits. Quite often these green consumers can be profiled by their appreciation for quality goods and the value of buying organic, fair-trade and locally grown or produced products.

The goal of the GreenerHomes.ca $500 Energy Incentive Program is:

1. To increase the value of the homes that GreenerHomes.ca Clients buy and sell.

2. To help GreenerHomes.ca Clients access energy-related grants and financial incentives while saving thousands of dollars in energy costs and the related reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

3. To inspire a national cataloguing of the energy efficiency of Canadian homes.

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* Vancouver’s Dexter Associates Realty has partnered with GreenerHomes.ca to provide a ‘green’ real estate service and resource, www.greenerhomes.ca that addresses the growing market of consumers interested in healthier, cost-effective homes that have a reduced impact on the environment.