Green sells ? just ask Amanda Lopez, Baltimore?s first certified Eco-Broker.
Completing an 18-hour course, Lopez, an associate with City Life Realty, opted to better prepare herself to market the evolving world of real estate and to educate buyers and sellers.
With houses in the Baltimore region selling for an average of $312,617 as indicated by Metropolitan Regional Information Statistics Inc., potential buyers and sellers are focusing more on the intrinsic value within the house. This can include features such as green or energy-efficient appliances and furnaces.
Regardless of the exact amenity, potential homeowners are starting to look for environmentally friendly real estate.
“I have been researching green homes for the past five, six years,” Lopez said. “Right now, though, Baltimore doesn?t handle that many. I have the expertise on how to market the ones we do have correctly.”
A practical example of Lopez?s knowledge would deal with the presence of radon or lead-based paint in a home. By providing facts and information to both the buyer and the sellers, she takes out the guesswork and presents educated information. The more educated you are, the less scary things become, Lopez said.
“My goal is to be the person, the Realtor, people know to go to when they are looking to find something green or become more educated,” she said.
City Life Realty markets the “Envirowhomes,” a 19-house project of the Patterson Park Community Development Corp. Designed to be 27 percent more energy-efficient than traditional housing, “Envirowhomes” feature options such as nontoxic paint, bamboo flooring and green roofing. But to meet the public?s demand and interest level, marketers and agents must be able to understand and educate the buyers.
“Most consumers want to [go] green but don?t understand what that means, and they have to have someone explain to them the variety of levels and the differences between things like green and Energy Star-certified,” said Eric Jones, Patterson Park sales and marketing director. “The translation and having a licensed professional be able to do that is key.”
