5 Ways To Determine If a Home is Really Green

By Halima Juma

Energy efficient, green homes, sustainable, are some of the buzzwords used to describe eco-friendly homes in the market today. In other words, there are a lot of ‘green’ claims in real estate, but consumers may not know how to ascertain whether these claims are true or not. With more ‘eco-friendly’ claims out there, the real question is…how do buyers know whether these claims are true?

1. Certifications
   • Local or nationally recognized certifications can help to verify if the home has been vetted. These include: LEED, Energy Star, Net Zero among others.
   • Remember that certification criteria vary widely. For example, an Energy Star home does not consider whether the home’s materials were sustainably sourced. So make sure that you understand which certification matches your needs.
2. Sage Score
   • A home doesn’t have to have a certification to be green. In fact many ultra- green homes do not go through the long and costly process of a certification. On www.realtysage.com you can see a home’s Sage Score (whether certified or uncertified) to determine how green the property really is. 
3. Research more than 1 website

• Online property listings are arguably the number 1 source of information for home buyers.
• Don’t just look at one site. Top sites often have scanty “green” information about properties. Make sure to check other sites like RealtySage.com  where information about energy; water; appliances; interior finishes among others is readily available.

4. Green labels for products and systems

• Products with green labels can help you know if the home has green finishes or systems.
• Here are just a few product labels to look for:
  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label for wood products
  • Energy Star label for systems and appliances
  • CRI Green Label Plus for flooring
  • Water Sense label for water efficiency.

5. Green professional advice and guidance

• Are you still not sure if a home is green? A knowledgeable green real estate agent can help find or guide you in your green home search much more easily than doing it by yourself. Green agents can easily narrow down your search by profiling homes with features that match your criteria.
• Professional credentials to look for are; National Association of Realtor’s Green Designation, EcoBroker Designation, or LEED Credential or experience in working with eco homes.
• Locate local real estate agents for free on RealtySagePros.com, which data-matches you to the top 3 local agents based on your unique needs. Realty Sage Pros has over 100,000 agents nationally.

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