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If you’re in the real estate industry, you might be interested in the new green building trend and what it means to you. You’ve probably also heard the term “Eco Realtor” and wondered if it’s worth paying attention to, or if it’s just another industry fad. The bottom line is that the green movement is booming and consumers are growing curious on how they can live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. If you become an informed Eco Realtor, you can provide added services that your clients will really appreciate, and at the same time you will be doing something good for the environment.

As a real estate professional, you need to learn how to tap into the green trend and leverage this incredible niche market to propel your business forward and increase sales. By becoming an Eco Realtor, you will educate and influence your clientele, and use your new knowledge and power to produce amazing results for your business.

We all know that sustainable living is the right thing to do for the environment. But becoming an eco-living expert can also translate into a lot more “green” for your pockets and your business–but only if you know how to leverage the powerful secrets to make this market trend work for you. Of course like most people, you’re probably concerned with the effects of global warming, rising energy costs, and sustainability. And in fact, as a Realtor, you simply cannot afford to ignore this upward trend and what it means to your business and the economy.

Consider some of these industry facts:
FACT – The value of green building construction is projected to increase to $60 billion by 2010 (Source: McGraw-Hill Construction, 2008. Key Trends in the European and U.S. Construction Marketplace: SmartMarket Report.)
FACT – The green building products market is projected to be worth $30-$40 billion annually by 2010 (Source: Green Building Alliance, 2006. Green Building Products: Positioning Southwestern Pennsylvania as the U.S. Manufacturing Center.)
FACT – Construction yields an annual output of U.S. $4.6 trillion, contributing to 8-10% of the global Gross Domestic Product encompassing a workforce of 120 million people and billions of transactions each day. (Source: McGraw-Hill Construction, 2008. Key Trends in the European and U.S. Construction Marketplace: SmartMarket Report.)
FACT – By 2009, 82% of corporate America is expected to be greening at least 16% of their real estate portfolios; of these corporations, 18% will be greening more than 60% of their real estate portfolios (Source: McGraw Hill Construction, 2007. Greening of Corporate America SmartMarket Report.)

The explosive green niche market offers incredible potential for the savvy real estate professional who understands how to leverage a unique eco-friendly value proposition, to better serve the client. The best part is, going green and becoming an Eco Realtor represents a long-term strategy for success.

The facts illustrate an upward trend the eco-friendly living that is here to stay. Everyone wants to learn about how to live healthier, and how to save money with a more efficient home. This market only stands to grow as more and more consumers jump on the green bandwagon. Think about it: we’re all growing tired of rising energy costs, unhealthy and expensive homes with inefficient systems, and toxic building materials. The basic homes of today, with all of their flaws, will some day be a thing of the past.

Green consumers are getting smarter and more informed all of the time. Homes and communities are evolving and going green. According to the Overview, the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Conference in April 2007 revealed that green building and remodeling is experiencing a level of demand that exceeds the current supply of qualified firms.

Seize this opportunity to get ahead of the curve: learn the secrets of becoming an Eco Realtor now, and unlock your potential for tremendous competitive advantage and increased business opportunities. You can pursue one of the new industry training programs such as the EcoBroker certification, or the NAR Green designation, or you can pursue more knowledge through popular green building industry associations such as The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBG) and LEED. LEED promotes the design and construction of green homes. A LEED-certified home is one that has been certified as meeting certain measurable “green” characteristics. As an Eco Realtor, you will be prepared to help your clients choose the right properties for their green, eco-friendly lifestyle.

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References: U.S. Green Building Council, (2008, November). Green Building Facts. Retrieved 2008, from USGBC[dot]ORG Website

I’m Nestor Santtia, and I have 23 years of industry experience in homes and green building. I’m a General Contractor and a Certified Green Building Technical Professional, and a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. Learn more about green living on my website at http://www.ecorealtor101.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 29th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.