JN| LEARN MORE AT energystar.gov ENERGY STAR®, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy program, helps us ail save money and protect our environment through energy efficient products and practices. For more information, visitwww.energystar.gov. Working with ENERGY STAR as a Real Estate Agent How do you maintain your status as a preferred real estate agent in a crowded and increasingly competitive market? Selling ENERGY STAR qualified homes can help. With growing concerns about rising energy costs, new homes that earn the ENERGY STAR offer homebuyers lower utility and reduced maintenance costs, while providing improved comfort and greater durability. And for homebuyers looking to 'go green,' an energy-efficient home is a great place to start. That's because when a home uses energy more efficiently, fewer greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere at the power plant. Let your clients know that the easiest way to make sure a new home is truly energy efficient is to look for the ENERGY STAR logo, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. You can tell if a home is ENERGY STAR qualified by checking the circuit breaker box for the blue ENERGY STAR sticker label or asking for a copy of the certificate. See the reserve side of this Fact Sheet for more about the features and benefits of ENERGY STAR qualified homes. Sell the Value that Clients Expect Not all new homes are energy efficient. Many builders claim their homes are efficient, but ENERGY STAR builders back it up. ENERGY STAR qualified homes are verified by an independent third party to ensure they meet the required performance level. Increase Customer Satisfaction The best way to gain more referrals is to provide expert guidance to your clients. You can increase customer satisfaction by selling ENERGY STAR qualified homes that are more comfortable, require less maintenance, have improved indoor air quality, and cost less to own. Take Advantage of ENERGY STAR'S Name Recognition and Resources EPA makes it easy for you to include ENERGY STAR in your sales message to homebuyers. The ENERGY STAR Web site, www.energystar.gov, provides all the background information and resources you will need, at no cost. • Help your clients understand the features and benefits of ENERGY STAR. Download useful fact sheets and order free brochures about ENERGY STAR qualified homes. Have these materials available in your office when you are meeting with a customer for the first time. • Promote builders and lenders that are active ENERGY STAR partners in your area. You can find them by visiting the Partner Locator on the ENERGY STAR Web site. Also, encourage builders you work with who are not currently constructing ENERGY STAR qualified homes to join the program. Be sure to mention the benefits of participation, such as increased profits and market differentiation. • Be a local ENERGY STAR expert. Download presentations and other marketing resources from the ENERGY STAR Web site to educate customers. Speak to groups such as the local Chamber of Commerce, Association of Realtors, Home Builders Association, inspectors, and appraisers. Prepare a press release or advertorial about your support of ENERGY STAR for local newspapers, magazines, and home-related Web sites. • Highlight ENERGY STAR on your website, newsletters, and business cards by displaying the 'Ask About ENERGY STAR' logo. Be sure to follow the ENERGY STAR Identity Guidelines when using the logo. ------- • Make ENERGY STAR a must-have feature for homebuyers by supporting the addition of ENERGY STAR into your local MLS searchable listings database. To start the process, contact your local Realtor Association and encourage the addition, • Consider giving your clients an ENERGY STAR homebuyer gift upon the sale or purchase of a home. Include items such as ENERGY STAR qualified compact florescent lights (CFLs). • Support energy efficiency improvements in existing homes. Encourage homeowners who are planning to sell their home to have an energy audit completed and make ENERGY STAR- recommended home improvements to increase their home's efficiency. The performance improvements can increase the home's value, especially when selling an older home. Visit the ENERGY STAR Home Advisor at www.energystar.gov/homeadvisor. What is an ENERGY STAR Qualified Home? ENERGY STAR qualified homes can include a variety of "tried-and-true" energy-efficient features that contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution. To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20-30% more efficient than standard homes. Components of a typical ENERGY STAR qualified home include: 1. Effective Insulation 2. High-Performance Windows 3. Tight Construction and Ducts 4. Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment 5. Efficient Products 6. Third-Party Verification How Can Your Clients Benefit from Purchasing an ENERGY STAR Qualified Home? • Added Confidence. Buying a home is complex enough without having to know all the details of energy-efficient construction. Instead, help your clients look for the government-backed ENERGY STAR label to easily identify homes that are truly energy efficient. Your clients can find the house of their dreams and enjoy peace of mind knowing that it also meets strict energy efficiency guidelines. • Lower Ownership Cost. Compared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR qualified homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating - delivering $200 to $400 in annual savings. Over the average 7 to 8 years your client may live in their new home, this adds up to thousands of dollars saved on utility bills. Additional savings on maintenance can also be substantial. Financing the home purchase using an energy efficient mortgage is also an option. Better Performance. Properly installed energy-efficient improvements deliver better protection against coid, heat, drafts, moisture, pollution, and noise. An energy-efficient home helps ensure consistent temperatures between and across rooms, improves indoor air quality, and provides greater durability. Smart Investment. To date, more than 5,000 home builders have partnered with EPA to construct more than 840,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes. By the end of the decade, more than 2 million homes are expected to earn the ENERGY STAR. The trend is clear. By choosing a new home with the ENERGY STAR label, your client can be confident that it will have an increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell. Environmental Protection. Energy used in our homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and global climate change. Simply put, the less energy we use in our homes, the less air pollution we generate. ------- |