Sustainability and Real Estate: How to Keep Up with the Growing Demand for 'Green'

Are you noticing an increased interest in environmentally friendly home features from your real estate clients? If so, you're not alone. According to NAR, 56 percent of Realtors report that their clients are at least "somewhat interested" in green real estate.

Apart from the environmental benefits, many consumers are recognizing that "going green" means saving green, and more people are taking this into account when looking for homes.

Not only is the cost of installing things like solar panels or energy efficient heaters dropping, green technology in general is having an interesting economic moment right now. On March 11, for example, solar power provided half of California's electricity, temporarily driving wholesale rates negative. Jobs in sustainable energy are available at nearly five times the rate of traditional fossil fuel jobs, and solar and wind jobs are growing 12 times faster than the US economy.

So it's safe to say that the green revolution is here to stay—and to grow. Real estate technology is still playing catch-up in many markets, however, with only 43 percent of Realtors reporting that their MLS has green data fields.

If your MLS doesn't yet offer green data fields, the Center for Sustainable Energy suggests that listing agents instead add sustainability information in the MLS remarks section. For example, for solar power systems, they recommend adding helpful information like:

• Solar system size – Number of panels and kilowatt capacity
• Estimated annual production – System output in kilowatt-hours
• Type of ownership – Owned, owned with loan, leased or power purchase agreement
• Utility bill savings – Either from the utility or third-party system owner
• Photos – Show the system, as well as any home energy ratings or green certificates