Follow the Leader: Green Realtors

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RISING ENERGY COSTS. Skyrocketing foreclosures. A glut of homes that just won't sell - despite sinking prices.

The outlook sounds bleak for both buyers and sellers, but Realtor Michael Kiefer sees a silver lining in all of that - a green lining, to be precise. As people tighten their belts and try to live frugally, property that's eco-friendly is becoming hot. Green real estate - which includes energy-efficient design, cost-saving appliances and long-lasting Earth-friendly or recycled materials - is increasingly sought, Kiefer says.

"This housing crisis has people thinking more closely about their utilities and being more conscious about how they operate a home," says Kiefer, 34, who in 2006 founded Green D.C. Realty (GreenDCRealty.com; 240-481-5041), an environmentally minded brokerage affiliated with Keller Williams Capital Properties.

Kiefer is an example of a new breed of real estate agents, professionals who have earned special credentials as experts in eco-friendly homes. Though there are currently only a handful of "green" real estate agents working in the District, the ranks of these planet-conscious pros are growing.

"When I started out four years ago [advocating green real estate], people would say 'Green what?'" says Kiefer. Now, however, homeowners know enough to not "leave a light on in every room."

Kiefer boosted his green smarts by becoming trained and certified as an expert in sustainable and environmentally friendly design by EcoBroker International (EcoBroker.com) in 2006. EcoBroker has been certifying professionals since 2002 through its courses in topics such as solar thermal energy, environmentally friendly paints and window finishings. In November 2008, the 1.3 million-member-strong National Association of Realtors launched its own Green Designee program (Greenresourcecouncil.org) to educate Realtors in green property and practices. Both the NAR and the EcoBroker programs require 18 hours of training; EcoBroker's is completely online; NAR's requires some in-person course work.

Finding a Realtor with one of these green certifications is still relatively rare in the greater Washington area. Ten D.C.-based agents hold EcoBroker certifications, according to a mid-March search on EcoBroker.com. Nearby Maryland suburbs had about eight EcoBrokers, and Virginia suburbs had at least a dozen EcoBrokers, EcoBroker.com searches showed.

Courtney Poulos, a Realtor with the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage-affiliated Reishman Group in Dupont Circle,, was the only local Realtor who had been certified by the NAR as a green designee by mid-March, according to NAR's Green Resource Council.

Poulos, 31, had already become an EcoBroker in 2007 but says she wanted to learn even more about green residential properties. The NAR's program taught her more about topics including "green communities, smart growth and design, public awareness and utilities, water consumption, efficiency, vendors and energy audits," says Poulos, who manages a Web site and blog about local green real estate at Greenlivinganddesign.com.

"There are two reasons to go green in this market," Poulos says. "One is to save money on your utility bills." Small tweaks such as insulating a water heater or adding extra insulation to leaky walls can help homeowners save $40 or $50 per month, Poulos says.

The second reason to make a home more energy-efficient is simply to improve its desirability on the market down the road. "Buyers want to save money [on utilities], too," Poulos says, noting that Montgomery County recently passed a disclosure law that requires the sellers of owner-occupied homes to provide utility bills as part of their disclosure package to potential buyers. "If that's not proof of awareness of utility costs and energy in the real estate market, I can't imagine what is.

"Even having a really nice, modern kitchen that has taken indoor air quality or the environment into consideration … is a great selling point," Poulos says. "People will pay a little bit more for that in the property."

Despite their small ranks, green Realtors find themselves in demand locally. Kiefer says green real estate has become something that "the public at large is very much interested in" - and the recession has made people especially eager to curb energy costs.

"This is by and large consumer education," Kiefer says. "It's just outlining some simple strategies" for going easier on the Earth. Some of Kiefer's cost-saving tips include lowering the hot water heater's thermostat and activating the dishwasher's energy setting.

Besides promoting green lifestyle changes, Kiefer has helped homeowners tackle eco-friendly renovations. He advised condo owner Laura Tache on how to complete green makeovers in her kitchen and bathroom.

"[Kiefer is] full of insight," said Tache, who decided to go green in 2007 after moving back into the 518-square-foot junior one-bedroom Dupont Circle condo she had been renting to tenants for years. "He opened my eyes to different possibilities of what to do and what not to do. I've learned a lot in the process."

Tache, 40, who works for the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools in Falls Church, Va., added to her kitchen materials that are biodegradable or produced from recycled materials. She installed a red Silestone countertop and covered her floors in a natural linoleum called marmoleum. She also replaced her old refrigerator, dishwasher and oven with Energy Star appliances, which meet energy efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy. And in the bathroom, she replaced a standard toilet with a dual-flush model that uses less water.

"It's a cleaner environment for me," Tache says. "It benefits me first, and then the environment. The products are a little more expensive than the traditional products, but not by much. If you think it over, in a few years, you can earn [the costs of green renovations] back in savings."

Capitol Hill couple HyoJung Kim and Seth Garland bought their three-bedroom rowhouse through Kiefer and consulted him before beginning a complete renovation of their new place. Taking advantage of the District Department of Energy's ongoing program that offers owners of single-family townhouses and rowhouses free energy audits (for more information, call 202-673-6700, or visit Ddoe.dc.gov), the couple were able to identify leaks in their new home's insulation. Then, they patched those leaks with a spray foam insulation in their attic and rigid foam insulation in their walls. They also replaced most of their windows to block out thermal energy that could overheat their home during summer months, and added a dual-flush toilet, Energy Star appliances, high-efficiency lighting and low-flow sink and shower fixtures.

Kim and Garland think their efforts at energy efficiency have lowered their utility bills considerably in the long run. While their neighbors who live in similarly sized homes were complaining about monthly gas bills of up to $500 this winter, Kim and Garland say their bill topped out around $150 per month.

"That's a pretty clear sign to us that the changes we made have had a sizable effect," says Garland, 38, an architect.

Since both Garland and Kim are conscious of their green footprints (both have received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design professional accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Certification Institute), they also tried to use sustainable materials in their home. They covered their floors with bamboo, instead of more conventional types of wood.

"Bamboo is a fast-growing material," explains Kim, 35, an urban planner. "It's environmentally much more friendly than the wood you'd cut from the forest."

Kiefer is convinced that homeowners can add value to their property with green materials and design. "Energy efficiency is starting to have that consumer appeal," Kiefer says. "Your property has to stand out. It has to have value to the buyer other than just the sales price. When you come in with both a good price and touting the Energy Star appliances, low-VOC paints [which release fewer toxins into the air] and compact fluorescent lighting throughout the house," those factors contribute to faster sales.

And as for eco-friendly properties' contributions to the planet? It might not be a top priority in buyers' or sellers' minds, says Poulos, but it's still a meaningful consequence of participating in the green real estate movement.

"I think that we can all individually make a difference," Poulos says. "So, even if you're looking at green real estate as a selfish investment, you're contributing less to energy demand and being a responsible consumer. If individuals start making informed, responsible choices, they can make an impact."

HEALTHIER HOMES
Interested in completing your own green renovation? Check out some of these local businesses to score sustainable and energy-efficient goods.

» Amicus Green Building Center
(Amicusgreen.com; 4080A Howard Ave., Kensington, Md.; 301-571-8590) sells everything from marmoleum and cork flooring to eco-friendly painting supplies and green finishes.
» Community Forklift
(Communityforklift.com; 4671 Tanglewood Drive, Edmonston, Md.; 301-985-5180) recycles and resells rescued hardware from about-to-be-demolished buildings.
» Eco-Green Living
(Eco-greenliving.com; 6201 Blair Road NW; 202-234-7110) sells green, organic and fair-trade home decorations and renovation supplies.
» Greater Goods
(Greatergoods.com; 1626 U St. NW; 202-449-6070) stocks Earth-friendly cleaning products, insulation supplies, solar devices and more.
» Second Chance Inc.
(Secondchanceinc.org; 1645 Warner St., Baltimore; 410-385-1101) rescues and resells architectural salvage from old buildings, including vintage fixtures, marble fireplaces, lumber and antique furnishings.

Photos by Kevin Dietsch for Express