I am an active Realtor/Real Estate Broker in Southern California and an avid SCUBA Diver (I train Instructors how to teach SCUBA). Both are passions of mine.
When teaching people how to dive a large part of their time learning is focused on the environment. It's disappointing how much "junk" ends up in the water damaging marine life. We always bring what ever junk we find back to the boat or shore and dispose of it prpperly. We've left behind only bubbles and memories.
Recently NAR created the "Green Designation" for Realtors. I certainly think the future will bring even more emphasis on the environment as people become more informed (hopefully through scientific proof). I became more informed when I completed my first set of dives in the beautiful waters of the Pacific Ocean. The kelp forests are amazing "underwater forests" filled with so many variations on marine life that I never get tired of being immersed in them. "They are like a box of chocolates; you never know what your going to get".
As a member of PADI, The Professional Association of Diving Instructors, I receive information on updates to training procedures and standards just like we as real estate professionals do, in a magizine. And here is where the difference is.
PADI allows us to simply go to their website, sign in to our own account, and click on a box that says "Send me the Undersea Journal via email". Click and done. That saves a tree or two but more important is sets an example of a corporation practicing what they preach in all their Project AWARE environmental courses.
That's where the difference is.
NAR, CAR, and OCAR (my local board) all send out their own magazines. The latest NAR magazine has 50 pages, the latest CAR magazine has 32 pages, and the local associaion has 44 extra thick pages. Interestingly the cover of that magazine says "Getting Into Green". That's 126 pages multiplied by almost all the members of NAR. I would think that would easily put the number of pages printed in the millions.
I went to my local board and asked them if there was a way to get their magazine online instead of having it printed. They said there was no place on their website where you could "opt out" of the paper copy and receive only a digital copy. However, if I left a note for one of the employees he could take my name off the mailing list. So I removed my name from the list knowing that past editions of the magazine were availble to read on the website. Not exactly the easiest and most effecient method of flipping that switch as it took the staff time they really didn't have to change my preferences.
So I am calling on fellow Realtors to contact the leaders of NAR, CAR, and all local associations to give everyone the option via their respective websites to "opt out" of receiving printed copies and instead receiving pdf.s via email.
If we are supposedly "Going Green" then its time to follow PADI and make the transition as simple as a single click and done.
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