Energy efficient homes can best be described as homes with the most current features that provide a homeowner with low energy bills. These features often include a tightly built building envelope, higher SEER rated HVAC system, advanced insulation, smart home systems, and possibly solar panels. But they may also include better indoor air and water quality and non-toxic characteristics, as those features are increasingly important to many homeowners. If you include these features in a home you are building, your home will probably be more advanced than the rest of the housing stock in a your area. So wouldn’t it be wise to hire a real estate agent who understands the value of these features and can communicate it convincingly? Of course!
Understanding these features also means being able to communicate them to the public and market them to the right websites. If a home buyer is savvy in understanding high performance features and desires them in their home, they may also be searching for websites containing these listings. One example of such a website is Viva Green Homes, where you can list your energy efficient home for free. Over 85% of consumers searching for homes begin their search online. So, it’s critical to place your home for sale in the right place to be “found.” You never get a second chance at a first impression.
Knowing how to market these homes is a critical element in the sales process. Being able to effectively communicate the benefits of these high performance features will help sell the home faster and for more money. After all, time is money!
Real estate agents who are trained and have earned designations for high performance homes understand that they require more knowledge, better marketing and a precise sales process in order to gain the most money possible for your home.
An agent with this training will know that in order to gain the most value possible during the sales process, will require the agent to interact with the buyer’s lender. If the homebuyer is using financing in order to purchase the home an appraisal is required. An agent with this training will know that not all appraisers are the same and that only some appraisers have been trained to appraise energy efficient homes at their true value.
An agent with this knowledge will request an appraiser who can provide value for homes that lower energy bills. However, if the features aren’t marketed properly then those features could be undervalued during the appraisal process. This is one of many reasons to use an agent trained to market and sell highly energy efficient homes. The Zero Energy Project has links to directories where you can find a green real estate agent in your area.
Agents that have undertaken this training also tend to be heavily connected in their communities with green chambers of commerce, green trade organizations, and vendors who make the green products, and they will be known by their peers as having this knowledge. They may have memberships with these organizations, providing another marketing opportunity for selling your energy efficient home.
In sum, to effectively sell your energy efficient home, be sure to have it placed on websites where customers looking for “green” are likely to go and be sure to find a real estate agent trained in the value and benefits of the green features in your home.
And if you're looking to buy or sell a home in the Maricopa County area, give me a call!
This article is being featured in Zero Energy Project's newsletter, website and in other print material. Thank you Zero Energy Project!
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