According to The Economist, residential real estate is a significant cause of climate change, accounting for nearly 20% of global energy-related carbon emissions. In addition, the construction industry is responsible for 11% of the world’s man-made carbon dioxide emissions, mostly from the production of concrete and steel. Contributing so much to global warming requires every one of us engaged in residential real estate to find tangible ways to help reduce our industry’s carbon footprint. We should celebrate and support homeowners, builders, and developers that have made the effort to reduce their carbon footprint by adding climate-friendly features.
Responsible, community-minded Associations and MLSs understand our industry’s responsibility to help slow climate change. They are partnering with local organizations to look for ways to make unique and valuable contributions to address climate change in their community. While the core role of MLSs is to provide MLS data to be used for property search and market evaluation, many have expanded the value to their subscribers by enabling REALTORS® to support homebuyers interested in purchasing climate-friendly homes.
The Green Building Registry® (GBR) is the most comprehensive and easy-to-access source of green home data available today. Partnering directly with the green verification body, GBR has made it easy for MLSs to feature the energy labels and certifications of homes. The GBR aggregates information from thirteen of the most comprehensive, trusted, and verified sources. Using the GBR API makes it easy for an MLS to populate each listing with green verifications.
If you would like to learn how your MLS can promote green features and certifications to help reduce the carbon footprint in your community,
click HERE.
