Survey: Consumers have 'green' envy
Real estate brief
By Inman News, Thursday, November 6, 2008."Green"-savvy agents are in demand, according to a consumer survey conducted for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, a Realogy Corp. franchise brand that formally launched in July.
The Living Green Consumer Survey, which is based on responses from 2,300 consumers who visited home shows from February through September, found that 51 percent of survey respondents "believe in the importance of working with a green-certified real estate agent" who has specialized knowledge about energy-efficiency and the environmental "footprint" of homes, as examples.
About 82 percent of respondents said they are informed when it comes to environmental issues, and about 30 percent said they would be willing to spend $5,000 or more on green improvements to increase a home's appeal to potential buyers.
Respondents identified convenience, lack of knowledge and lack of time as barriers to "being greener," the survey found. Most respondents reported that they engaged in some type of "eco-friendly" or "green" acts in the past six months, including recycling (73 percent), replacing incandescent lights with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (also known as CFLs -- 69 percent), conserving water (57 percent), adjusting the thermostat (51 percent) and buying energy-efficient appliances (30 percent).
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Submitted by Jean Louis Racine on November 6, 2008 - 2:14pm.
Being conscious about the environment is definitely important but I haven't realized that it matters to people to have a "green" agent. I will definitely investigate to be more effective about it! Thanks!
Jean Louis R.
http://ratebuilding.com
Submitted by Czarina Carden on November 7, 2008 - 9:06am.
Going green at home used to just mean separating the plastic and paper from the rest of the garbage. But in most households today, consumers believe that energy conservation is essential and new homebuyers are looking for experts to help them meet their green-living needs. Homescape.com featured a great article on this emerging trend of new Eco-brokers. Check it out:
http://www.homescape.com/content/Buying-Guide:Using_an_Eco-friendly_Real...
Submitted by Jodi Summers on November 9, 2008 - 12:05pm.
My hometown, Santa Monica, is aiming for Net Zero in 2020 - so we have a high level of knowledge in my community. To separate our skills we've created the Southern California Green Real Estate Blog @ www.SoCalGreenRealEstateBlog.com.
Promoted as a way to “Get enlightened to green building methods and ordinances that are revolutionizing real estate development and construction in Southern California.”
Clients automatically think I’m an expert.
Best….
Jodi Summers
The SoCal Investment Real Estate Group
Sotheby’s International Realty
jodi@jodisummers.com
www.SantaMonicaPropertyBlog.com
www.SoCalMultiUnitRealEstateBlog.com
www.3619motorave.jodisummers.com
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I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. - Will Rogers
Submitted by Julie Jones on November 12, 2008 - 11:04am.
I have read that the younger, techno-savvy Generation X and Y-ers entering the real estate market consider eco-friendly homes a priority in their purchasing requirements. Clearly, as a future trend in remodeling and new construction, it behooves all of us to learn as much as possible about the technology and benefits of living "green."