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A Green Designation Adds Value For Clients & Distinguishes You From The Competition

Agents with a green designation offer specialized services that will benefit all clients.

Following Up

In April, I blogged about the benefits of earning a green designation and that earning a green designation is a win-win-win scenario

By way of follow-up to these blog posts, I thought it would be useful to hear from an agent who has earned a green designation.

So I asked Susan Emo, the only Accredited Green Agent in her area...historic Gananoque, Ontario about the designation.(By the way...the Gananoque and Thousand Islands area is not only historic...it's beautiful! Definitely worth a visit.)

“Distinguish Myself From The Crowd” personal brand

Susan was very positive about the process of becoming an Accredited Green Agent and how the designation has influenced her work as a real estate agent.

From a purely marketing perspective, Susan says:

“I have been able to distinguish myself from the crowd by learning green concepts, principles, practices and benefits from the ground up in a way that makes sense to my clients. “

To see more of Susan's comments, click here

What Do You Think?

From my own research as well as Susan's comments, I am even more convinced of the importance and benefits of a green designation for real estate agents.

Who better to help home owners understand that environmental awareness really does start at home?

What are your thoughts on earning a green designation?

You may post your comments here on this post or right on the web page after you have read Susan's comments.

Posted by Larry Easto on 07/07/2009 06:06 AM

Comments (11)

Green Designation, Real Estate Agent in the ActiveRain Channel

green designation, environmental awareness, green concepts, clients

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11 Comments on A Green Designation Adds Value For Clients & Distinguishes You From The Competition

JUL

The designation will help agents as more buyers are aware of green homes.

Larry, I am all for green and am looking into getting the designation. But it is not as popular here as I would like it to be. I am sure in time it will be!

I agree with Andrea, I am sure this will get more standard over time but right now the bottom line dollar is still what drives peoples decisions. We aren't conditioned yet to be more long sighted.

It's not very popular here either. In fact, I think the east coast must be slow to catch onto everything because we don't have a lot of agents in Active Rain either! =(

Sincerely,

Kathleen

A designation is a good idea (though I'm still looking for one for Canadian mortgage agents). That said, most people still don't recognize them at the moment, so it's important to simply talk about energy-efficiency and environmental issues. If you tell people what you know (i.e. educate them), they should appreciate your advice regarless of whether you have a designation or not.

I'm not sure that it gives me an edge, it's "one more thing" to do and pay for. I've never had byers/sellers, etc. ask about "green designation"

Patricia

PS Even if I got the designation, I wouldn't consider myself an authority on the subject and would pass off the the "experts" I don't need a law suit so I'd recommend the buyer go to someone more knowledgable than I .

Patricia

Larry, I find that as a home inspector it's an additional option for income. I can offer the seller of the house to add an additional service and offer a green certificate which basically means that the house compiles with some of the requirements of the green designation such as energy efficient appliances, windows, sun exposure etc.

I can't say I've really used it much and I do think it's a tool to further educate both the buyer and the seller to the possible options and benefits of going semi-green.
Sue

Larry, This whole "Green Thingme" has really off. I did not know there was even a green designation. Where can I get information on this?

JUL

Terry

For more infortmation on a green designation, you can follow the link "benefits of earning a green designation" from my post. Thsi will take you to the earleir blog where you can find a link to the NAR website.

Or you can follow the link "read Susan's comments" which will take you to my web page wjicj contaims a link to the Canadian associatin from which Susan got her designation.

Larry - I have been monitoring NAGAB for at least a year or two since they constantly ask me, via e-mail, to join. Their designations are not well known and I cannot determine who the "27,000 affiliated members" are nor what services they provide to members. Since I am with Royal LePage, one of the sponsors of NAGAB, I might be an affiliated member but I don't know. I tried to clarify at their booth at TREB's Realtor Quest show but did not get an answer.

I've only come across two Canadian Realtors with NAGAB - Susan Emo, who you mention above, and someone in Cobourg who had the designation prominently displayed on her promotional literature.

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