Living Green

Realtors go 'green' to meet consumer demand

Metro Atlanta's housing industry is taking green to a new consumer level.

First, the region's homebuilders partnered with Southface Energy Institute to create the growing EarthCraft inspection program for environmentally sound home construction.

Now, some area Realtors are setting the pace for EcoBroker certification, a national program that trains real estate professionals to spotlight the environmental features of their listings and help buyers find homes with clean indoor air, efficient energy and water use and access to transportation alternatives.

The four-year-old training program designed by John Beldock, a former U.S. Department of Energy official and lifelong environmentalist, has grown to include some 2,000 agents in 42 states, including Georgia.

Most EcoBrokers receive their schooling through an online course offered by Beldock's company from its Evergreen, Colo., offices.

But Atlanta's Harry Norman Realtors last week brought Beldock to Atlanta to train 48 of its Buckhead branch agents.

Before the Harry Norman initiative, only 14 metro Atlanta agents could claim the EcoBroker designation.

Hampton Realtor Burke Sisco got his certification a year ago after learning about EcoBroker training while attending a green building seminar at Southface. For him, signing on was a natural step in his commitment to business practices that reflect his personal values.

"I don't just want to be a real estate agent. I want to be a change agent," Sisco said.

In addition to selling houses, Sisco operates a Web site, www.ecohomeguy.com, where he posts information and resources on green homes.

Sisco said despite the prolonged national slump in housing sales, his environmentally conscious buyers and sellers have been the most reliable aspect of his trade. Last week, one of Sisco's clients closed on a loft in Hampton and he showed property in South Fulton's Serenbe community to two clients looking to relocate to the Atlanta area from San Francisco.

The San Francisco clients found him through the EcoBroker Web site.

"The consumer is a lot farther ahead in what they would like in a green home than the market is ready for," Sisco said. "The signals are that the green market is strong and getting better."

Agents and executives at Harry Norman clearly agree. Their decision to sign on with EcoBroker grew out of a marketing brainstorming session in which the topic of environmental stewardship and green building came up repeatedly.

"Everywhere we looked, it was environmental this and green that," said Harry Norman agent Mary Stuart Iverson, one of the program's advocates.

Beldock said the three-day Harry Norman sessions were the most crowded brokerage training classes he's ever conducted.

"Then they're out there in the community as green ambassadors," Beldock said.

In addition to helping sellers understand the value of their homes' environmental features and helping buyers find healthy, efficient, accessible homes, EcoBrokers also maintain a trove of resources that can provide cash, special interest rates, tax incentives and rebates to help with energy efficient purchases and renovations.

Beldock said consumer demand for environmentally conscious design and construction has grown far beyond the bounds of a niche market into a set of universal expectations for quality, service and reliability. With energy prices climbing, water becoming more precious and traffic gridlock growing, homeowners increasingly demand accessible, efficient living spaces.

"It's tough to meet a consumer that's not concerned about these things," Beldock said.